Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/588318
F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 25 BUSINESS SIDE much at stake, there is no doubt you need a good plan. Especially when you consider you not only have to be good enough to advance, but also need to save some in the tank for the next event. Here's my two cents on this as it relates to therapists: organization/ planning is a more important skill than technical knowledge in terms of practice success/development. I don't care if you're the next Ruth Werner in pathology; if you can't structure your time and your practice properly, you're sunk. Whether you are an employee or an independent practitioner, your ability to structure and organize treatment plans, schedules, and marketing efforts is critical. No—make that essential! PASSING THE TESTS! KC: Believing you have the skills to be an Olympian is one thing. Passing the tests to prove you've got the right stuff is another. One of the ways athletes prove they're ready is by qualifying at the Olympic Team Trials. Get inspired by this and create your own version of the team trials for yourself along the way. Take those goals Les mentioned earlier and break your large goal into smaller, more attainable and measurable goals with dates along the way. So with my "Jamaican Bobsled" event of learning a new modality, the ultimate I'm-running-the-victory-lap- with-the-flag-draped-over- my-shoulders goal will be to incorporate the new modality into my practice in a dazzling and exciting way. My smaller Olympic-Team-Trials-type goals will be to enroll in continuing education classes, give a certain number of hours of practice sessions by a certain date, etc. If your gold-medal goal is to get better and more comfortable with networking, a trial-level goal might be to practice your introductory elevator speech with people until you feel comfortable saying it to a stranger (while maintaining eye contact). Setting and completing smaller goals and tests will give you opportunities to realistically check in on your progress and celebrate the small victories along the way. WIN! LS: In the Olympics, winning means you beat others—you finished ahead in the race, earned the most points, or shut down your opponent. The good news in massage and bodywork is that winning is not a zero-sum game; my success isn't your failure. So to "win" means you have met your objectives (perhaps fully, but even partially is worth celebrating). Winning means you set that goal, kept after it, and are satisfied with your effort and results. And you're able to look back at your inspiration and see how it helped. For us therapists, the Olympics are every year, every month, every week. We can always set that new goal, train for it, and work with our coaches to get better. And another event is right around the corner. CATCH THE SPIRIT KC: Fast-forward to the end of this process: it's Biz-Olympic Games time. Picture the heartwarming backstory video Bob Costas will play just before your event airs, so that all of America is weeping and rooting for you. What do you want that story to be? Now, do the work to make that story true. Catch the Olympic spirit! Allow yourself to be inspired and excited about creating goals for your practice and life. Then, put time, effort, and heart into them so when you're standing on the podium with that gold medal around your neck and the anthem plays in the background, you can truly feel proud of what you've accomplished. Les Sweeney is ABMP's president. Contact him at les@abmp.com and read his blog on www.abmp.com. Kristin Coverly, kristin@abmp.com, is the manager of professional development at ABMP and teaches workshops for therapists and instructors across the country. Both are massage therapists with business degrees who care about you and your practice. Want more? Check out their ABMP BizFit video tips on www.abmptv.com. Allow yourself to be inspired and excited about creating goals for your practice and life.