Am I crazy for absolutely loving this job?
Important context -- I am in PP with an average of 15 clients a week.
First I'd like to say that if I were in the trenches seeing 30 clients a week, or making significantly less money, my opinion would probably be different, but as it stands, here are a few of my shower thoughts for anyone who might need a pick me up.
- How cool is it that we get paid to love people? To literally just care deeply about other humans, frequently one at a time. I often find myself in session with clients thinking to myself, "man, I would love to just sit and talk with you all day." And I get paid for it! Sure, we all have tough clients -- but the concept itself is beautiful to me.
- How cool is it that other people trust me enough to listen to my counsel? If I lived even 500 years ago, there's no way anyone would care two cents about what I have to say -- much less pay me money for it. This job is an absolute miracle in comparison to most other professions of the last 10,000 years (no manual labor, air conditioned office, helping settle personal and familial disputes -- that's sounds like King Solomon, but he didn't even have air conditioning!)
- How insane is it that those of us in private practice get so much free time? Even working 25 hours a week is so much less time than other professions, even if it is equally as taxing. I love setting my own schedule, getting a full extra day of the week to myself, having more than enough time to pursue my passions and spend time with my family. It's crazy awesome!
- How wonderful is it to do something every day that matters? There is no doubt in my mind that the work I do impacts lives. Every day. And that when I put work into preparing for a client, or even furthering my own mental health so I can then help others along the path, it makes a difference. That difference may be small, but it is a difference -- and it is enough for them to generally want to keep coming back. Every client that returns is a client that sees value in what you do.
Sure, I have hard days too. I get crushed when a long term client doesn't want to meet anymore. I make mistakes, and I don't make as much money as I might dream about.
But I love this job!!