Are your beliefs holding you back in your business as an animal trainer or behaviourist?
We all have beliefs. They might be about ourselves, our work, other people or any number of things. Whilst some are helpful, others are likely to be doing you a disservice.
The problem is, our beliefs shape our thoughts and behaviours, whether they are beneficial to us or not… and regardless of whether they are actually true!
Those in our industry know only too well how common it is for our clients to have beliefs that don’t do themselves or their pets any favours.
Take, for example, the person who believes that their pet is stubborn because they refuse to do something but you can see that the animal is actually fearful and/ or you suspect that they may be in pain. Or the dog owner who believes that they need to ‘dominate’ their dog, in order to teach them the behaviours they’d like when you know that there is a better (and kinder) way.
Their beliefs about the situation could have come from a variety of sources over time but, whatever their origin, it doesn’t necessarily make them true (or helpful). A significant part of our job involves helping clients to reshape their beliefs, to enable them to move forward with their companion animal.
But what about our beliefs?
The stories that many of us tell ourselves, as professionals in this industry? Here are just a few of the most common ones but, to be honest, I could write these for days… there are so many of them!
I should conform to a certain way of working – the look and feel of my business, the services which I offer and my pricing should all be aligned with others in the industry otherwise I won’t be successful and/ or taken seriously.
I need to 'mend' the animal I’m working with. If I was any good at my job, I would be able to solve the issues that they’re having and make everything better. If I don’t fix the problem, I have failed both the pet and the client.
Working ridiculous hours (many more than I am charging my clients) and feeling continually overwhelmed are part and parcel of this job. It’s not possible to do it any other way: the only other option is to get a ‘proper’ job.
Other trainers and behaviourists are my competition. My competition is my enemy. We’re all competing for the same clients so my marketing should focus on showing that I’m ‘better’ than them.
Do any of those ring true for you?
If you hold any of those beliefs (or any others about your professional life), ask yourself…
What if, just like with the client examples, those beliefs are not actually truths at all?
Rather than helping or protecting me, might my beliefs be holding me back and making life harder than it needs to be?
What could I do differently if I let go of those beliefs? How might this impact on me professionally, financially or emotionally?
Beliefs, especially those which are long-held and continually reinforced by those around you, are hard to change. But if they’re getting in the way of having the business that you deserve, they need to be challenged, in order for you to move forward.
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