If you had the chance to share with your younger self the most important things you’d learnt throughout your career, what would you say? This issue we ask naturopath Stacey Curcio to share what she’s learnt since setting up a one stop shop for natural medicine in the regional Queensland centre of Gladstone.

Letter to myself straight after graduating

Dear Stacey,

Well done, you’ve actually graduated! Give yourself a few months of well earned down time to recharge those batteries. You’ll need plenty of enthusiasm and energy for the next chapter of your life.

Within three months of graduating you will have moved to Queensland and started your own business as a self-employed naturopath. This will see you work out of a tiny room within a gym and draw no personal income for twelve months. Instead, you will plough your earnings back into the business, allowing you to expand into a multi-modality clinic within 12 months, and to be in a position two years later to employ two naturopaths, an acupuncturist, two massage therapists and four reception staff.

Your goal to be the owner, operator and principle naturopath of a busy, professional and profitable multi-modality clinic will be accomplished. As a result of this achievement, the business will become profitable a mere 18 months into operation.

Being your own boss will come with many challenges. Enjoy these moments, for it is the wins that don’t come easy that make the tough times worthwhile. Also, learn to be more decisive, and stay light hearted – don’t take the ‘bad’ days too seriously. They are few and far between, and character building! Stay positive. As you tell your own clients, “the world is a mirror, smile and the world smiles back!”

Remember you will need others to achieve your goals. Your family, friends, peers and mentors will be there to pick you up when you’re down, and pull you back when you need to slow things down. Practise gratitude to those who help you do what you love, and recognise you’re not superwoman! Family and friends are who you are, where you’ve come from, and where you’ll go. Don’t get too self-occupied, and make sure you are there for them just like they are there for you.

Live by the belief that your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you will become your trademark. You are a walking billboard for what you do, so practise what you preach and look after yourself. You simply will not reach your goals if you’re not at your healthiest. Rather than waiting until you feel burnt out, recognise the signs, slow down, take more long weekends, get a puppy, laugh more, schedule in down time and have fun! Eat very well, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep... but don’t be afraid to enjoy the occasional bit of soul food and have a lazy Sunday every now and then.

As you achieve your goals, celebrate them. You don’t realise it now, but you will achieve far more than you ever dreamt was possible. By 2015 you will be booked out several weeks in advance and have a waiting list, contribute to a well-known text book, speak at numerous local and regional events, and be well on your way to completing a Master of Human Nutrition.

As you tick these goals off the list, make sure you write more down, and be adaptable enough to make changes to achieve them. Don’t just make professional goals, make health goals, personal goals, financial goals and business goals... call them what you will, just have something to work towards. View each problem as a challenge and you can overcome all obstacles. And don’t forget to have fun along the way!

Love, Stacey

Stacey is a qualified naturopath, member of ANTA and ACNEM and the Director of Gladstone Holistic Health. She specialises in nutritional, naturopathic and herbal medicine and lifestyle counselling to help her clients reach their true health potential.