Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Good Quote

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. The most important thing is to not stop questioning"

-Albert Einstein-

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Who's the Boss?

I opened my own physiotherapy practice on March 15th. Life has been a little chaotic....thus the lack of posts to this blog the last month. As anyone who has started a business will know, the process was not without it's challenges, but through it all I have had the same reoccurring thought ..... "Why didn't I do this 2 years ago?" If I am honest about answering that question I come with this list:
1) my job was very familiar and comfortable. Why jeopardise security?
2) I had a good enough salary to live a lifestyle I was happy with
3) I liked most of the people I worked with
4) I knew little about running a small business
5) apparently running your own business is a lot of work and a big responsibility
6) fear I wouldn't like it and ultimately fall flat on my face

I could go on but you get the picture.
I was watching an interview with Sting about a year ago where the interviewer asked him how he came to his decision to leave The Police and other big changes in his life and career. He said he couldn't provide any profound answer other than that people usually "just know" what they are to do in life...that we need to learn to trust our intuition and our gut. I could certainly relate to that because despite the above mentioned list, I knew I was not where I needed to be. I had an image of myself as an old man in my rocking chair, reflecting back on my life, wondering why I chose the safe, comfortable route instead of following my gut.
I read something over Christmas that has stuck with me that said in effect, that "there is nothing more damaging to the spirit of a man than a secure future. It is risk and an ever changing horizon that makes us feel alive" (paraphrase)

Back to my new business...We are not making money yet, I have yet to see a paycheck, I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing with things like bookkeeping and payroll, I already have had to replace my only other staff member (pregnancy complications), and yet I feel alive, like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I walk in the door at work and feel a sense of pride in what we have put together so far. I feel the responsibility that ultimately things fall on my shoulders. I come home excited that I learned how to set up a spreadsheet, or read a revenue report. I realise that I answer only to myself and my staff...

I met and talked to many people over the last couple years who went into business for themselves, and almost all said they have never regretted it and should have done it long ago... Now I know why.