Sometime solo professionals get so focussed on the thing that they are doing that they isolate themselves from others. They do not do research to learn about new strategies or treatment options. They do not meet with others in their field. And they do not spend time with the people who actually care the most about them.
One of the goals for a healthy life is to have a balance in life. That means doing some work and some play. You need to make sure that you have times for serious work as well as times for relaxation and enjoyment. There is an old adage that states “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. That is so true.
Even if you are in the early stages of building a business and worried about being able to pay for the start up costs as well as the monthly operating expenses, you cannot work day and night without paying serious consequences. You are better to just set a specific number of hours that you will work each day and at the same time, schedule times for being with family and friends or doing your favourite hobbies and activities. Remember to continue being involved in the committees or sports that you enjoy so that you will have a good way to get away from and deal with stress.
One of the goals for a healthy business is to provide competent products and services that will meet the needs of the clients. If you are so busy seeing clients, without having the input that new ideas that can be gleaned through interacting with others in your field and training workshops, you will soon find that you are behind your competition. Your clients will likely seek out those who have the best options for meeting their needs. They may have read or heard about new techniques and seek them out for their own needs. If you are not competent or even aware of them, you might lose not just this client but also the others in their sphere of influence.
So, be very careful about the choices you make. Isolation will hurt your business. Make sure that you have a balance of work, play, seeing clients and learning about how to become more competent. A little bit of each of these will give both you and your business the balance that with promote healthy growth.
