The Big Fat Myth that Leads to Healer’s Burn-Out

Is it really possible for a holistic business owner to actually work too hard?

Some of the most genuine holistic business owners I’ve met over the past 20 years are overworking themselves and are at risk of burn out or worse. The irony is that the very nature of their work is to bring wholeness and healing, relief and restoration and yet they run themselves into the ground giving of themselves, in fact, over extending themselves while dealing with the day-to-day grind of their work.

The shocking truth is that the overwhelming majority have actually only partially succeeded in setting up their business model which ultimately leads them to actually overwork or work too hard.

Could this be you?

If so, the results are sobering and disheartening, but it’s not your fault. You are gifted in your craft and have the power to heal, but you simply have not been given the right perspective and tools to manage the business side of the equation.

I want to illustrate this with a concrete example which highlights some universals.

Here is what I’ve observed over the past 20 years and how it applies to you.

Take Raul, the message therapist in fast paced New York City. He has fingers of magic and his clients come regularly to allow his hands to dance over their skin,

releasing tensions and blockages, making muscles pliable once more after a grueling week at work.

They come away feeling refreshed and equipped to extend their relaxation over the weekend and jump back into the circus ring for yet another brutal week at the office.

Raul, usually pleased that his clients are helped, has started to loose that feeling of deep satisfaction. As he tends to the laundry, manage his books and finally ends his trivial tasks as chief bottle washer, his mind wanders as he asks himself how he got here.

Here’s the thing. Raul finds himself in the hamster wheel to nowhere along with an overwhelming percentage of all holistic business owners. Spinning his wheels he’s holding himself responsible for every single aspect and detail of his business and because of this, he’s got not bandwidth to grow.

He’s tired. He has no energy. He is incapable of growing his business because his own human capacity is limited.

The man whose hands bring rest and energy to high-strung business professionals struggles to maintain his own rest and energy levels.

But there is hope.

Holistic business owners like Raul are learning how to maintain a balance between life and not being a prisoner to their job yet at the same time grow their business consistently, ethically and reliably.

You can learn this, too.

The answer begins with understanding the business of your business.

If you’ve got a set of skills, a set of tools in your tool belt, an expertise, some modalities that you are gifted at, you will soon learn to distinguish between owning a business or running a service which at the end of the day reduces you to some average Joe who took on a job.

Raul? He did not actually own a business (as much as he told himself he did), in essence he was the guy who did the job. The difference between owning a business and fulfilling a job is manifest in a mindset that allows you to take a step back and grab that birds eye view.

From this elevated position Raul would see the lay of the land, just like any true business owner does.

[ul style=”11″]
[li]He would see disciplines that are best left in the hands of those more capable and freeing him to place all his energy into his own gift, the gift of touch and massage.[/li]
[li]He would see that his job is not accounting. Nor laundry duty. Nor dishwasher.[/li]
[li]He would recognize other issues that cause his business to fall victim to poor management: not understand offers, sales propositions, marketing and customer retention opportunities.[/li]

[li]He would be enlightened to the prospect of offering transformational packages that consistently invite his target audience into his circle of influence.[/li][li]But most of all, he would recognize that he indeed is restricting his growth, peace and assurance that he does indeed live his calling by joyfully serving the busy executives in the bustling city.[/li]

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And because Raul fails to see his business from this perspective? He is at great risk of losing that opportunity to bring his healing touch to the market. Because eventually he finds himself having to go out and find a job working for someone else – just to make rent.

You see, it is possible and unfortunately all to often that holistic business owners work too hard and in doing so, risk losing the privilege to bring help and relief to those who truly need to experience what they have to offer.

Next month’s newsletter I will begin to lay out the issues one by one which will help you to identify the job related tasks which are keeping you from growing while starting to help you build your business acumen so that you can start to make changes immediately.

Until then, if you have yet to download your copy of my book “Unlock Your Prosperity”, please do so now. You can secure your copy here. It is the first step to helping you to unleash your purpose and passion so that you can finally break through and release positive business growth from this day forward.

Finally, know there is hope and rest in the assurance that your gift was given to you to share with the world. Together we will take the steps to help you embark on the most fulfilling journey so far.