Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Let me explain.
Just because you can see clients across the lifespan doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can start your own private practice doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can hire an employee or contract other therapists doesn’t mean you should.
There are seasons in our lives where we might want to accelerate or lean into growth, and that’s awesome. But there are also seasons of our lives where other things are more important, and growth means missing out on those important things.
I think with social media and being connected 24/7, it’s easy to feel FOMO.
And importantly, it’s hard to escape it.
In the last few months, I’ve had a mentee who started out wanting to expand her business by employing staff. Through our discussions, she realised that this isn’t the right time. By waiting, she not only gets to enjoy the season she is in, but when she is truly ready to lean into that growth period, it will be with ease.
I’ve had another mentee who started working with me to create her own private practice. Again, through our discussions, she has realised that she can have the growth that she craves in her current role. Her workplace is offering her fabulous opportunities which are allowing her to grow her skills, take on a senior position, and develop her management style.
By staying where she currently is, she can enjoy this season of her life where she gets to have more balance, start hobbies, see her friends, and spend more time with her family. She’ll can always start a private practice, but she may not get this time for herself.
These are two examples of so many that I see in my work with therapists. They feel that they should be doing more. That everyone is excelling and they aren’t.
But often we are all stuck in the cycle of ‘should’, so much so that we can’t see how great the season we are currently in is.
So if you find yourself saying “I should…” then stop and reflect.
Is this actually what you want? Are you dissatisfied with all the parts, or will a few tweaks get you joyful again?
With every level comes more responsibility, burdens, fires to put out and added stress.
When you are in the right season, you have the energy and capacity to handle this.
When it’s not the right season, you get burnout.
So the next time you’re scrolling through your socials, watching what other people are doing with their lives, seeing people take up opportunities, always think ‘just because I can doesn’t mean I should’.
