Back in the Saddle

Life in the cabin is back to normal. Well, at least some sort of normal. We are now in the midst of getting used to the school year schedule. But in all seriousness...I didn't realize how much I needed that vacation. Sure, I was ready for a trip! Who isn't? But I guess I had missed the usual signs that tell me to get the heck out of dodge for a while.

Of course I already blogged about all the work that was waiting for us when we got back...the mowing, weeding, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Then there was that first-day-of-school rush to get everything organized and labeled. And then, on Tuesday, I went back to work. I had a SLAMMIN' day...and I had NO complaints about that. See, this past year has been a bit rough for my business. I have enjoyed an immensely busy practice for 7 years...until this year. The end of 2006 brought 4 of my very regular clients being transferred and/or moving out of state. I had 3 clients become new mommies (which means no time for massage!), and I had two clients pass away. Add to that the people who just come in and out over the years, and my schedule was REALLY light, especially this summer. And that is when the big one hit. American Home Mortgage filed for bankruptcy and closed it's doors. Why does this affect me, you ask?? Well, they were a big client of mine...I was at two of their branches twice a month doing chair massage, and my monthly paychecks from there provided me with a bit of stability. This was not good news for me, but I was determined to not let it get me down.

It has been a rough year to say the least...

Until recently. I decided that I needed to sit down and think about what I wanted to change and how I needed things to work out. How many clients do I need to see per week to make me comfortable? How can I drum up some more chair massage business to fill in the spots left by AHM? How do I see the nature of my business progressing? I needed to put my intentions out there, get them clear in my mind, and then go on vacation, relax, and not worry about a thing.

So I did that. Right before we left for vacation, I spent some time in my office thinking. And writing. And making plans. And lo and behold, I went to work on Tuesday and felt completely different. I was excited about being at work. I was thrilled when someone came in with an overwhelming condition that was going to (normally) be exhausting to work through with them. It felt good to be busy...and I was thankful for the wonderful clients that I have! I left my office that night at 9 pm feeling energized! It felt soooo good.

And you know what else? I have all these new clients on my book. They are coming from everywhere...old clients of mine, current clients of mine, people who have gotten my name from my dentist or doctor or Danniel the hair stylist...

Things are looking up, yessirree. I needed a new outlook and a better attitude. I needed some Sunny California. I needed some family time and some time decompressing with one of my best friends.

Life is GOOD!