Private Practice Success Newsletter

December 2006, by Lynn Grodzki, LCSW, MCC (Master Certified Coach)
www.privatepracticesuccess.com

Less Stress, More Stretch

This year I am working out 3 times each week with a personal trainer, a young man whom I affectionately call The Torturer. My goal was to get stronger, and The Torturer takes this mandate seriously. Under his intense coaching, I am running laps at full speed, doing umpteen leg presses, groaning through ridiculous numbers of sit-ups, and don’t even ask me about the really horrible push ups. I can keep this up for short periods of time, as my muscles work to the point of trembling. Then I basically collapse, muttering, “Oy, oy, oy.”

My trainer watches me and chuckles. (I told you he was tough.) I can work out for an hour with him, but then I need days to regroup. This kind of a workout defines stress: It builds strength (what doesn't kill me makes me stronger), but it is best endured over only short periods of time. The level of intensity is not sustainable without harm.

I am also taking yoga from a very gentle teacher. She asks us to extend our bodies into poses, but not to the point of pain. We breathe a lot, bend and hold positions, and then relax and bend again. This workout defines the concept of stretch: I can stay engaged in motion for long amounts of time, easing into new and unfamiliar territory, pushing myself a bit, but then relaxing to refresh and renew myself.

Too often, small business owners operate continually from a position of stress. This is unsustainable, and leads to burn out and exhaustion. From time to time, stress in work is inevitable and can signal a new project or meeting a deadline. But as a steady diet, it is toxic.

Instead, I want you to consider moving into a position of stretch as the owner of your business. Breathe into the unfamiliar and try new things in your private practice to challenge yourself, but then relax; give yourself a chance to compensate for the extra effort.

For this month, think about how you can stretch more, and stress less. Where do you need to push yourself a little, and where do you need to hold back and breathe, and then relax?

“There is a geography of the soul. And in that world that exists inside you, you begin with no sense of direction. God, or the gods, is up. Earth, the cool mother, is down. You hang, suspended by a desire for each, between the two. This is the simplest of all things; all we can know is the stretch.” - — Ten Crows the Elder

Here is a checklist of items to help you stress less:

I get good sleep each night to feel healthy and alert.
I eat foods that promote my physical well-being.
I exercise several times each week to stay flexible and resilient.
I have quiet time each week for myself, doing things I love, so that I feel refreshed.
I have friends and family that I can talk to whenever I need a sense of connection.
I make time each week to engage in activities that give me pleasure.
I live in a home that feels nurturing, safe, and pleasing.
I get all my personal needs met outside of my practice.
I actively seek solutions for the complaints I have regarding my life and my work.
I maintain a high level of personal and professional integrity.
I know how to forgive and/or feel compassion for myself and others who have hurt me in the past.
I let go of my guilt over my past mistakes.
I keep clear, consistent boundaries regarding my personal and professional life.
I rarely rush; I go through my day being on time.
I carry the insurance and protection systems I need to feel and stay safe and protected.
I take action based on feelings of love instead of feelings of fear.
I am part of a community that gives me a sense of purpose.
I live a life based on choice and meaning.

"Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also those who need it so much." -- Daphne Rose Kingman

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you stretch more:

What is missing in my business or life right now?
What do I wish I could create?
What feels beyond my reach and why?
What aspect of my business vision is still not manifesting for me?
What opportunities are available to me that I currently don’t take advantage of?
What will it take for me to act on these opportunities?
What opportunities are available to me if I extend my reach and really stretch?
What is it worth to me to make this happen?
What is my first step?
When will I take it?
Who will I ask to support my endeavors?

Next "Strong Start" Teleclasses Begin in January 2007!

We are starting the next round of teleclasses, which are a wonderful way to jump-start your year. Starting a private practice or renovating a stalled one can be daunting. It takes time and energy to turn a small practice that is just surviving into one that is profitable thriving. Going it alone can be tough, especially when you have a full and demanding life.

It helps to have the right kind of support when you are building your practice. The right kind of support is a professional group of your peers who will celebrate with you when you succeed, commiserate (but not indulge you) when you have a tough time, help you stay consistently motivated, encourage you, and hold you accountable for your goals.

If you don't have time or the inclination to create a support group, why not let us help by joining our Strong Start Teleclass Program? We meet by “bridgeline” — an easy to access conference line, that you dial just like a long-distance phone number at the given time, to be connected to everyone on the call.

The Strong Start Teleclass Program is a twelve-hour, four-month-long progressive practice-building program that follows the first several months outlined in Lynn’s best-selling workbook text: "12 Months to Your Ideal Private Practice: A Workbook," to help therapists and healing professionals take the right steps to build their ideal private practices. Lynn and Wendy Allen co-lead the classes, and the groups are a wonderful mix of therapists and healers from across the country.

Using a combination of lecture, discussion, exercises, and fieldwork, you will be guided through a curriculum-based program. Each month the teleclass meets for a total of three hours by phone (one hour every week, three weeks per month, for a total of twelve hours) to complement the workbook objectives and assignments. The teleclass will help you to take the learning and preparation further than you might do on your own. Need to miss a class? No worry, we tape them so you can listen in later, at your convenience.

To see prices and register for the January Strong Start Teleclass, see the website

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Books by Lynn Grodzki, published by WW Norton. To order, click on each book.

	The Business and Practice of Coaching By Lynn Grodzki and Wendy Allen (2005) Reviewed by author Richard Leider as "Nothing less than a radical rethinking of the essentials of building a coaching practice. A must read for all coaches, master and novice alike."
	Building Your Ideal Private Practice By Lynn Grodzki (2000) The best-selling guide to what you need to do and who you need to be in order to have a highly profitable, personally satisfying private practice. Often called the "private practice bible" this book has become a resource for tens of thousands of your colleagues.
	The New Private Practice:Therapist-Coaches Share Stories, Strategies and Advice Edited by Lynn Grodzki (2002) A groundbreaking look at the profession of coaching through the eyes of 16 successful therapist-coaches who tell you how to become a coach, what to charge, and show you how they coach their clients.
	12 Months to Your Ideal Private Practice: A Workbook By Lynn Grodzki (2003) This planned, motivational workbook will help you build the practice you desire. The workbook incorporates fresh ideas, new exercises, further skill sets and much more to give you a direct experience of being carefully coached by Lynn, month-by-month, for a full year.

More next time,

lynn@privatepracticesuccess.com
See the website for additional articles, information about individual coaching, and upcoming classes.