Starting a Private Practice? Time to Take Action

Today I received two professional publications, oneDo you see a pattern here?
focuses on issues for the mental heatlh profession andI'm a psychologist, I like thinking and talking, reading and
the other addresses building information marketingresearching as much as the next human behavior
businesses. I read each this evening one after thegeek. It's cool to think big thoughts and talk about it. But
other and noticed some stark contrasts.when that is ALL we do, our businesses suffer. There
Mental health professionals write a lot about thinkingis no creation of tangible products when we just think
and talking. I suppose that is what most of us do well,and talk about ideas. I get so frustrated when I hear
considering we have many years of school under ourthat my colleagues are forming another committee to
belts and psychotherapy requrires a significant amountdiscuss the possibility of maybe doing something at
of talking. In fact, we develop our expertise by thinkingsome undefined future date. Why all the
and share it by talking (and writing). I can tell we do aover-analysis? (Yes, that is a real question. I'm not
lot of thinking and talking when I read phrases like,making a joke.).
"...gathering information,"OK, professors get paid for thinking and talking, and if
"...committees will meet to discuss,"you want to be a professor, not a private practitioner,
"...in the planning phases,"that business model will work for you. But if you want
"...more consideration will be given."to be a successful clinician you have to TAKE
"...more research is needed."ACTION to generate income. And you can't be doing
In comparison the information marketers write aboutthe same old things that generated income 5 years
doing things to improve their businesses. They write inago. Our culture and society has changed so much
absolute terms regarding their work. A favorite phrasethat we need to shift our focus,learn new ways of
of info marketers is "implementation." They are allsharing our knowledge (and get paid for it).
about implementing tasks to meet goals or createSo please go ahead and think about the practice you
results. The phrases in the info marketers' newsletterwant to have, talk to those who can support your plan,
go like this:educate you on how to get there and then take that
"...Start a new program."information and DO IT. Take action, any action,
"Creating a product that focuses on..."because the alternative of doing nothing will result in no
"Today [Ron] is setting up a business.."change, no growth and no more income in your
"[John] achieved 5 goals.."pocket.