Work, Life, Growth

Thousands of dollars spent, hours of sleep lost, and yet you feel clueless with every decision you have to make as you enter this new world. Over night you’ve gone from a student to a professional and you’re expected to know the answers. Others may not see, but I recognize the fear in your eyes and the lack of confidence you possess as you try to navigate your new title.

I remember my first day as a licensed clinician and looking at you, is like looking in the mirror. The computer system was enough to overwhelm me and I was already on edge. Yes, I was excited. I was also nervous that someone would ask me a question and I wouldn’t know the answer. I was confident, yet intimidated by the expectations set before me. I was afraid of failing.

So, let me put you at ease now that I’m no longer a rookie. After practicing now for nearly a decade, I want you to know that you will not know everything and that is okay. I’ve used the words, “I don’t know” more than I ever thought I would. Just when I think I’ve seen enough and have most things figured out, something or someone presents to the clinic and I find myself having to do research and study. Yes, study. You know the type of studying where you have four books in front of you authored by individuals with alphabet soup behind their names. I’m talking about the type of studying that won’t be accomplished in just an hour here or there. The type of studying that makes you realize that you clearly don’t know as much as you thought.

Saying “I don’t know” does not mean you are incompetent. It simply means that you are human. Nonetheless, if you say these three words you have the obligation to search for the answer. It becomes your responsibility to find the answer so that you will be one step closer to being more prepared for the future. Please understand, that it is impossible for you to know everything and that you will learn something new frequently throughout your career. If you’re not learning throughout your career, then you aren’t becoming better and you may be doing your clients a disservice.

You’ll reach a point where you are overwhelmed and feel like you’re not prepared for the task at hand. It may take one day or it may take one year. But, according to the history of life this point in inevitable and we all reach it. Now, how we respond is different from person to person. Some may cry in the bathroom during lunch and others may go for a walk (I personally like chocolate or fries). Whatever your healthy outlet is, take time to do it so that you can reset and get ready to work towards success.

Being overwhelmed is not a sign of weakness, and there is nothing wrong with saying that a task is too much or that you need assistance. Not speaking up when you need some assistance is a terrible flaw that many of us make. We start to convince ourselves that we can handle everything alone, or that asking for help is a sign of failure. Instead, we should embrace that other individuals may have valuable insight to help us along the way.

Please know that you are going to make mistakes at every phase. Yes, there are some mistakes that you can prevent and you should prepare ahead of time to avoid them. Other mistakes, you won’t be able to evade. When these mistakes happen, some you’ll recognize immediately and others you won’t be aware until a length of time has passed. Regardless of when you recognize the mistake, learn and grow so that you can continue to develop within your profession.

I wish I had more support as a new professional and I hope as you start your career that you have a better base than what I had. Here are a few tips that I have as you look to embark upon this new journey towards what you decide is professional success.

1. Have a mentor! Yes, some companies assign you a mentor when you join their team. This can be a great advantage or a terrible flaw depending on your situation. So here are some things you should look for in a mentor.
   • Someone who will be constructive and critical to offer you the best sound guidance.
   • An individual that will offer guidance, but also allow you to your own decisions.
   • A person who sincerely wants you to succeed and is willing to challenge you to be better.
   • Someone who is willing to be honest and tell you when you are wrong.
   • Also know that during your career, your mentor may change depending on your own growth, and that is okay.
   • And, yes! You can have more than one mentor.
2. If you don’t agree with something, don’t feel like you have to conform. Periodt! (As they say in today’s common vernacular when adding emphasis to a statement. No, the added “t” was not a typo). Do not feel like you need to alter your morals to fit in. If you believe something is right and no one else does, stand up for it and make sure you can back it with sound judgement. If you feel something is wrong, stand up for it as well. Just make sure you prepare yourself and know that there may be consequences for your decision. Yet, as long as you can sleep at night with a clear conscience that should be all that matters.
3. Ignore those who only aim to discourage and deflate you. You should surround yourself with people who want you to succeed and who are on a journey to better themselves as well. If you are constantly hearing discouraging remarks, recognize that you may begin to believe these and doubt yourself. Now, please do not confuse constructive criticism for discouragement. These are two very different things. Constructive criticism has the end goal of helping to develop you into something better. However, discouragement has no seed that can lead to healthy growth.
4. Some people will support you and others will not. It can hurt when you do not have the support of someone that you either trust or value. Take the feedback given when you do not have the support, because you may realize that either you’re wrong and decide to take a different route or that you are even more driven to see the task through to the end. Regardless of the support shown, the feedback can be a helpful growth process. If you have support, great! Take this support use it as a reminder when a task becomes difficult so that you know you can see it through.
5. Write your goals down and have someone who is willing to hold you accountable. Place your goals in plain sight and make a plan to work towards them. Accept that failure may occur, and then pick yourself up an try again. The person you choose to hold you accountable should be someone that you trust and can be transparent. This person should be willing to root you on and also kick you in the butt to get you moving. (For me, both my husband and my best-friend from PT school qualify as my accountability.)
6. Relax and enjoy the ride. I’m still learning how to do this one here, but each step gets easier. It is hard to enjoy the stressful times, but having a healthy work environment and working in a field in which you enjoy definitely helps. You also need time to stop working and just exist (that’s a blog for another day).
7. Trust yourself. Know that you can accomplish what you set out to do and do not compare your journey to another person’s. You are uniquely you and need to learn to trust your process of professional maturation. Know that there is plan uniquely for you, but you have to be willling to put in the required effort.

Best wishes,

Dionne