Dirty Nappies and Sticky Toffees


When I was growing up, a cousin, about four or five years younger than me, asked his mother (in the hearing of several of us older kids) to chew his toffee for him because it was too hard.

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He never lived it down.

At the time, I dismissed him as immature and childish. In recent times, I have begun to relate more to where he was at! I have begun to recognise that there’s a part of all of us that doesn’t want to do the dirty work, put out the bins, or have the difficult conversations.

Everything in life has its good sides and its not so good sides. Babies are gorgeous, but then there’s the dirty nappies and the sleepless nights. Toffees have a lovely flavour, but they take work to eat. If we’re able to, we can put the unwanted parts of a much bigger wanted thing into perspective. But if we focus enough on what we don’t like, we may undermine ourselves by becoming attached to our struggle with what we don’t want, rather than our journey towards what we do want.

Baby boy lying down

Being a self-employed therapist involves some heavy chewing at times. There can be a long lead in time, from first setting up to arriving at a practice that is financially viable. The income can be uncertain, and clients can be elusive. The work itself may be satisfying and rewarding, but the business side of it can be tedious and boring. Marketing can be a challenge for some, and valuing ourselves enough to charge a fair fee can be difficult for others.

The business aspects of running a practice are a necessary part of being self-employed. The clue is in the name – SELF-employed. You are employing yourself. You are both employer and employee. There isn’t anyone to do those unpleasant tasks for you.

The trick is to see the business side much as you do the dirty nappy or the difficult conversation. It may not be what you most enjoy; you may even resent it hugely, but it is something you do because it is a part of the journey that takes you towards what you want.

If you are finding it hard to get started, or to engage with some of the less desirable aspects of running a practice, perhaps I can help you to get to the root of it. I can’t do it for you, but maybe I can see where you’re stuck! Contact me here for your free 20 minute consultation. The services I provide are available here.