Saturday 15 September 2012

31 Days Later...


This is the last day I have to post in order to complete the “31 in 31 days challenge.”

Thank you to Eric Brown, R.M.T., for proposing this challenge to the Massage Therapy community. It has been a great experience for me personally and professionally.

I have a feeling that I will continue to use this blog to post more adventures in Massage Therapy, though maybe not on a daily basis. I have received such positive feedback from readers and I really appreciate it. I have also received some wonderful suggestions for future blog posts, and I am grateful to be encouraged with new material

For a very long time I have wanted to write a blog about my experiences as a Registered Massage Therapist. Even if no one read it, and it was just for me. Under the advice I read in Success magazine from Seth Godin he said, (and I’m paraphrasing here) “you should have something interesting to write about your profession everyday. If you have nothing interesting to write about, maybe you should find a new profession.”

The blog idea came up again in the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubinwhere the author wrote a blog post each day for one month. This blog became the start of her best selling book, and a successful franchise.

I knew I wanted to start a blog, but hadn’t put it into action yet. Then Eric Brown came along with his “badass blogger challenge.” I had seen the emails for a few weeks announcing his challenge, but brushed it off for “later.” Then, the day before the challenge was about to start, he posted a 5-minute how-to on how easy it was to set up the blog site (one of my excuses), and he promised a “badass blogger trophy” if we completed  the challenge. He simply wanted us to take action each day. Do something. Move! Challenge accepted.

It was difficult to post each day. I was not lacking in content for the blog, but I was going to be away on three different occasions during the 31 days. I participated in Tough Mudder, Toronto August 18th, 2012, which meant I traveled for the weekend to Barrie to visit family and participate in the event. I was whisked away to Tremblant August 24th-26th, 2012 with my boyfriend and he enforced a “no electronics rule.” I also traveled to Washington DC for a vacation with my mom and dad from August 29th- September 3rd, 2012. I never once missed a blog posting.

Climbing Mont Tremblant, overlooking Tremblant Village
Knowing I would be away, I prepared a few blog posts at a time and was able to schedule them to automatically post on the dates I would be away. No electronics? No problem. I heart Blogger for this feature. While I was in Washington, I woke up early and wrote the blog daily from my mom's laptop in the lobby of the hotel. I must have looked official each morning because one day a lovely woman tried to check-in for breakfast with me haha. I also recruited a guest blogger to cover a post when I knew I was going to be traveling and unable to post. According to Eric, it still counts as a daily post

Abraham Lincoln and I. Washington, DC

I started this blog 31 days ago with a real frustration about myself in the profession of Massage Therapy. It is true that it is what I have always wanted to do thanks to the encouragement of my late Grandmother. On day one of this challenge I was feeling so restless and “stuck.” I was ready to use the blog as a release for my frustrations and expose the truths about Massage Therapy. I am blessed with a gift, and I feel that I am using this gift to the best of my ability, but so what? I feel that I have so much more to contribute and accomplish. Maybe I have a bigger purpose? Maybe there is more money on the table somewhere else? Can I support a family in this profession? Can I maintain a relationship?

By day 31 I realize that yes, I can. It’s not always easy, it could always be worse, and it is always worth it. Writing the blog, and having conversations with those reading my blog, including a wonderful woman who owns Align Massage Therapy, Jana Veltheim, I have come to realize Massage Therapy is where I am meant to be. This may not be forever, but that is not a decision I need to make right now. Right now, I need to wait. I will continue to be the best Massage Therapist I can be, and appreciate the lifestyle I have because of this profession.

I must appreciate that I only have to maintain a 20-25 hour work week to make an exceptional living. I only work a six-hour work day--if I work at all, and I am free to take time off when I want. Because I have the time, I am continuing to pursue my business on the side. I am grateful I have it because it has continued to encourage me to grow personally and professionally, while providing residual income that is there to support me every month, whether I massage or not. I have met the most incredible friends through this business and even gained a few new massage clients. Everyday my side business grows, and one day I will make the decision to quit massage therapy, pursue my business full-time, and have a lot more free time on my hands! What an awesome day to look forward to!

For now, I choose to enjoy each day and focus on the future, continuing to help people achieve their financial, life, and health goals.

Special thank you to my guest bloggers: Mark Perry, Melanie Stewart, and Bianca Wahab for contributing to my challenge. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experiences surrounding me and Massage Therapy

Thank you all for reading and supporting me. It has meant so much to me to hear that I have inspired you to start your own blog, or that you can relate to me and now you feel you are not alone. With your encouragement, I look forward to posting again in the near future. 

XO

Krista Dicks, B.A., R.M.T., C.L.T., E.T.T., Firework. 


Catherine and I emerging from "Mud Mile" at Tough Mudder, Toronto. 

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