It’s The Eurovision…Again!


It’s the Eurovision song contest, again. I’m old enough to remember when it was a huge event, the highlight of television viewing. We would be allowed to stay up late to see it, and there was excitement for weeks in advance about the Irish entry and its potential. The scoring was particularly exciting, and “Nul Points” was as common as “LOL.”

Changing channels.Of course, these days it’s not the big thing that it was. When we only had one TV channel, watching the Eurovision was a no-brainer. Now, between thousands of satellite TV channels, YouTube, and Netflix, something like the Eurovision Song Contest no longer has the star quality it once had.And this is the way of our world today. So many choices. I’ve often written about the choices available to our clients, and how we have to help them to find us in among all the dazzling range of healing options that are out there. There is another way, though, in which the overwhelming array of choices makes life difficult for a self-employed therapist.

It puts a huge onus on US to make choices. And the choices we make become more important. If we don’t choose, others will choose, and those clients who need our help will choose.

One of the skills needed to be a self-employed practitioner is to pick and choose what’s right for you and to support that choice with your action. Like TV channels, there are lots of options to choose from, and they are expanding all the time. Whether you’re talking about where to practice, how to present yourself or what to charge, the job (of being self-employed) asks you to make decisions. In this, self-employment differs from being an employee. An employee implements the decisions of his or her employer. Being self-employed, no one will tell you what you should do.

Decision making can be overwhelming, even if each one of them is small.

There is a risk in making any choice, the risk of letting go of all the other choices you could have made that might have worked out better for you. Choosing to practice in one location means letting go of potential clients who live or work elsewhere, and aren’t willing to travel. Choosing to market ourselves purely to doctors means letting go of potential clients who look for a therapist on the internet.

Some people stay lost in the decision-making process rather than taking these risks. They delay deciding in the hopes

Decisions.

that the decision will become easier in time. And it may, or it may be just as unclear next week or next year as it is now. Other people rush through, coming to a quick conclusion, rather than experience the anxiety which the uncertainty can evoke. In doing so, they may overlook valuable information that could have helped them. There’s a balance to be struck, and taking enough time, rather than taking too much or too little is an art. And there really is no way of knowing other than listening to that little inner voice of yours.

Practice helps. Get used to making small decisions. Make choices that don’t have huge long range implications. Allow yourself the space to get it wrong, and support yourself when you do. If you delay putting off a decision, make that a firm choice.

They say that the only decisions we regret are the ones we didn’t take. I wonder if the Eurovision contestants would agree?

If you find it hard to know what is the right decision to make for you, perhaps I can help. Contact me here to make an appointment or to avail of your free 20 minute consultation.