Running A Business is A Never-ending Problem-solving Game
- Jordanthecounselor
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
by Paul Peterson
We’re closing down the Private Practice Incubator for several reasons, one of which is more personal to me. I’ve been interested in the contemplative world for many years now, mostly of the Buddhist and Christian variety. As much as I loved the tasks, people, and impact of PPI, I keep feeling called to pursue work directly related to psychospiritual development.
Running a business is a never-ending problem-solving game
I’ve heard other business owners comment on this before, noting that one of the most important skills in business is problem-solving, but I never really knew what they meant.
Jordan and I frequently joked that the business was always breaking down—in a state of constant need for update, balancing, and innovation. I think a part of me was creating this false belief or worry-free fantasy that—at some point—the business would stabilize itself in such a way that it would ride into the future and not need repairing, updating, or maintenance ever again. This was not the case.
Sometimes the business was “broken” because we couldn’t innovate fast enough to embrace all of the people who wanted to work with us. Other times, it broke because we hadn’t focused enough on client acquisition, feedback, etc.
Especially now with the advent of AI and other rapidly-changing tools, tech, and markets, choosing to run a business really feels like consenting to a life of continual adaptation or problem solving. I’ve wondered if this reason alone is enough of a barrier for most adults to prefer being employed by someone else instead of starting their own thing.
For our success, I felt myself needing to check in on this mindset and shift it. Whenever I thought “I shouldn’t have to do this task,” I realized that I was setting myself up for failure already. The solution for me was to frequently accept that solving problems is another name for Business Owner.
Why we’re closing it down
In the past three years, I’ve (Paul) done 9 weeks of silent meditation retreat and another 4 weeks of intensive adult psychological development workshops. These experiences have really changed my life for good and have altered how I show up in my personal and professional life.
I feel a call to step into that work more directly and am letting go of PPI as part of that endeavor. Feel free to reach out if you have interest in learning more about what the world of contemplative, psychospiritual, and developmental growth looks like.
Paul Peterson, LMFT, LPC, is a specialist in psychospirtuality. He regularly offers trainings on meditation and adult development. You can learn more about Paul Peterson here.
Paul Peterson
Paul Peterson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Arkansas. He has certification and/or training in EFT, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness as well as adult psychological development models. He's been in the mental health field since 2015 and in 2019 worked with a team of authors to publish a content analysis in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. The content analysis reviewed almost 1,000 research articles and tracked trends in publishing and clinical effectiveness research. He has also published a book on a Wholeness-oriented approach to contemporary Christian faith. He gives regular training on clinical skills, hypnotherapy, and business skills for solo practice therapists. You can learn more about him at https://www.paulwpeterson.com
Jordan Harris
Jordan Harris, Ph.D., LMFT-S, LPC-S, received his Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana Monroe. He is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Arkansas, USA. In his clinical work, he enjoys working with couples. He also runs a blog on deliberate practice for therapists and counselors at Jordanthecounselor.com You can find him on linkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-harris-lpc-s-lmft-s-418412301/
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