Estimated Reading Time: 16-18 minutes
This blog post is based on Day 1 of WELLth Fest 2024, a 5-day intensive training for health practitioners ready to build online practices. Watch the full training inside our free practitioner group for exercises and community interaction.
The Question That Changes Everything
How many times have you heard a client say: “I’m not ready yet. I’ll start after the holidays.”
Maybe it sounds like “I need to finish this one thing first” or “I’ll commit when the kids are back in school.”
It drives you crazy because you KNOW their lives would transform in months. But they keep putting it off.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth most practitioners don’t want to hear: If you keep hearing this from your clients, it’s likely because you’re convincing yourself of the same story.
The “I’m not ready” mindset isn’t just keeping you stuck—it’s directly influencing the types of clients you attract.
The Mirror Principle: Why Your Energy Attracts Matching Clients
Before we dive into the 5 self-sabotage patterns, you need to understand mirroring.
Mirroring is the idea that the people, situations, and experiences you encounter are reflections of your own internal state—your thoughts, beliefs, and energy.
Think about it this way: If your desk is cluttered and your house is chaotic, can you focus? Probably not. The external mess mirrors internal distraction.
The same principle applies to your practice:
If you’re operating from self-doubt and fear—from that “I’m not ready yet” energy—you’ll attract clients who mirror that same hesitation. They’ll want more research, need to interview more practitioners, or question your modalities.
But when you confidently step into your power as a knowledgeable practitioner, your clients feel that energy. Your confidence creates safety for them.
The energetic truth: We attract situations and people who align with the frequency we’re operating on. If you’re stuck in self-doubt, you attract clients who reflect those insecurities. But when you step into clarity and confidence, you attract opportunities and people who match that vibration.
Why This Matters More Than Strategy
You can have the perfect funnel, the best marketing strategy, and an incredible offer. But if your mindset is stuck, none of it matters.
Strategy is about 20% of your success. Your mindset, perspective, and how you show up in the world? That’s the other 80%.
It’s like telling clients that supplements are only 20% of the equation. The real transformation happens through lifestyle modifications, nutrition changes, mindset shifts, sleep optimization—the deeper work.
The same applies to building your practice. You need the strategy, yes. But without addressing the inner game, you’ll stay stuck no matter how many courses you buy.
Ready to work on your mindset? Join our practitioner community →
The 5 Self-Sabotage Patterns (And How They Show Up With Clients)
Pattern #1: The “Perfect Timing” Illusion
What it sounds like:
- “Now is just not the right time”
- “I’ll start after tax season/the holidays/summer”
- “Once things calm down, THEN I’ll do it”
The brutal truth: Life never stops “life-ing.”
When has waiting for the perfect time ever actually paid off? When has life delivered you a perfectly packaged moment of stillness and alignment on a silver platter?
Never.
The perfect moment is an illusion. A trap. A romanticized fantasy that keeps you comfortable and stuck.
How this shows up with clients
They tell you they’ll start “when things settle down” or “after this busy season.” Sound familiar?
The mirror moment: If you’re waiting for external circumstances to align before taking action, your clients will mirror that same hesitation when committing to their own healing.
The reframe
You don’t get to choose when life stops throwing curveballs. You DO get to choose whether those external circumstances take away your power.
Are you outsourcing your power and playing victim? (“I can’t because this is happening TO me”)
Or are you resilient? (“Yeah, AND I can still do this because it’s worth it for me, my family, and my clients”)
Critical question: How much longer are you willing to wait to live the life and build the practice you truly want?
Pattern #2: The “I Need More Certifications” Myth
What it sounds like:
- “I need more education before I’m qualified”
- “I should get another certification first”
- “I don’t have enough experience yet”
The brutal truth: The knowledge and experience you already have is enough to start making an impact RIGHT NOW.
Real confidence doesn’t come from more credentials. It comes from applying what you already know and trusting yourself to grow through the process.
Confidence builds through courageous action—that feedback loop where you prove to yourself: “Oh sh*t, I CAN do this.”
Important caveat: If you want to go fully virtual, limit liability, and potentially release your license, a certification might be worth considering. But it’s not because you don’t know enough—it’s for legal protection and confidence.
How this shows up with clients:
- “I need to do more research”
- “I should interview a few more practitioners”
- “I don’t know enough about these modalities yet”
They keep delaying because they’re mirroring YOUR doubt about being qualified enough.
The mirror moment: When you confidently step into your power, your clients feel that certainty. It creates safety for them to trust you and commit.
The reframe
Every time you put off starting because you’re “waiting to feel more qualified,” you’re delaying the transformation you’re meant to bring to your clients and the world.
The real qualification comes from doing the work and learning through courageous action.
What you can do right now:
Write down 3 current skills you have that could create real change for someone TODAY.
Is it nutritional guidelines? Functional lab analysis? Lifestyle upgrades? Nervous system regulation? Mindset work? Herbal medicine? Movement therapy?
You already have gifts people desperately need.
Pattern #3: The Perfectionism Trap
What it sounds like:
- “It needs to be perfect before I launch”
- “I just need to tweak this one more thing”
- “I can’t put it out there until it’s flawless”
The brutal truth: Perfectionism is the sneakiest form of procrastination.
It convinces you that waiting until everything is “just right” will protect you from failure. But it only keeps you stuck in inaction while opportunities pass you by.
Perfection is an illusion. What you think is perfect, someone else might think is terrible. Perfection doesn’t exist objectively—yet we convince ourselves it does.
What perfectionism really is
It isn’t about high standards. It’s rooted in fear—fear of failure, judgment, and not being perceived as “good enough.”
It is coming from proving energy, which is disempowered. It’s victim mindset disguised as excellence.
The health perfectionism trap
Some practitioners feel they can’t move forward because their OWN health isn’t perfect.
Let me dissolve that right now: You only need to be a few steps ahead of someone to guide them. If you’re on your own healing journey, actively working on your habits, and moving the needle forward—that’s all that matters.
How this shows up with clients
“I’ll start when things calm down” or “I’ll commit when I lose weight first” or “I’ll be ready when I feel ready.”
The mirror moment: If you’re waiting for perfection, your clients will wait for their perfect moment too—which never comes.
The reframe
Taking action BEFORE you’re ready is actually the key. Confidence doesn’t come from endless preparation—it comes from showing up even when it’s messy and learning as you go.
Action item: Identify one area where perfectionism is holding you back. Is it launching your program? Posting on social media? Offering a higher-ticket service?
Choose to take B-minus action this week. B-minus work gets results. Perfection gets paralysis.
Pattern #4: Fear of Failure
What it sounds like:
- “What if I mess up and ruin my credibility?”
- “What if I say something wrong on video?”
- “What if people don’t trust me anymore?”
The brutal truth: Failure is the fastest way to learn, grow, and ultimately succeed.
Most practitioners fear video because they’re afraid they’ll stumble over words, say something wrong, or get called out. They catastrophize: “Everything will fall apart. No one will trust me.”
But here’s reality: If someone’s going to leave your world because you stumbled on your words or tried to tell a joke that fell flat—they’re not your person. See you. Adios.
That just makes space for your actual person to come in.
The paradigm shift
I no longer have fear of failure because I don’t believe in failure.
The only way you can actually fail is to quit.
Otherwise, it’s just a learning experience. Cool, that didn’t work. Let’s try this instead. Be an experimenter. You’re a resilient, resourceful human being.
Learn. Move on. Next.
This is the attitude you need as an entrepreneur. We are pushing limits. We’re paving new ways. We’re pioneers.
You need lightness and acceptance—even friendship—with “failure.”
How this shows up with clients
They share fears about failing at protocols, not sticking to goals, or backsliding into old habits.
The mirror moment: How can you guide clients through their fear of failure if you’re still paralyzed by it yourself?
The reframe
Failure isn’t a roadblock—it’s a stepping stone. It’s a sign you’re in the game, trying, moving forward. It’s how you gather the data and insights you need to improve.
Your failures make you relatable, not less qualified.
Content idea: Share a time you “failed” on your own health journey and how you bounced back. This vulnerability will magnetize the right people.
Action item: Reflect on a time you feel like you failed but gained something valuable. What did you learn? How did it contribute to your growth? Acknowledge that without that experience, you wouldn’t be where you are today.
Learn how other practitioners overcame fear of failure →
Pattern #5: Fear of Success
What it sounds like:
- “What if I actually succeed and can’t handle it?”
- “More success means more responsibility”
- “I’m already overwhelmed—I can’t take on more”
The brutal truth: While many fear failure, fear of success can be just as paralyzing.
Success brings visibility, change, potential judgment, and the expectation of maintaining that success.
You might fear success because:
- You’ll be seen on a bigger stage and judged more harshly
- You’ll lose the comfort of anonymity
- Success might shift your identity and force you to level up
- You’ll have expectations from others
The practitioner’s unique fear
Many practitioners already feel exhausted, depleted, and burnt out in their current model. The thought of “more success” sounds like MORE pressure, MORE responsibility, MORE on their plate.
So subconsciously, you push away opportunity because you believe you’re already under too much pressure and can’t handle more.
The reframe needed
Success doesn’t equal more pressure. Success equals more freedom, flexibility, and spaciousness.
With success comes the ability to:
- Delegate more
- Access more resources
- Create more flow
- Work LESS while impacting MORE
How this shows up with clients
They might fear that reaching their health goals will lead to changes they’re not ready for. They worry they won’t recognize themselves or that they’ll have to leave behind old habits and relationships.
This is real and can hold people back from creating the transformation they say they desire.
The mirror moment: If you’re afraid of the responsibility that comes with success, your clients will mirror that fear about transforming their health.
The reframe
Success isn’t going to ruin you. It’s going to reveal you.
It shows your true capacity to handle bigger challenges and bigger rewards. Success doesn’t mean losing yourself—it means finally stepping into your full power.
The critical mantra: The more successful I am, the more people I get to help.
Action items:
What’s the BEST thing that could happen if I succeed?
Is [playing small/avoiding visibility/staying comfortable] what I actually want, or is it a way to stay safe?
What’s the WORST thing that could happen if I succeed? (Write it out—it’s usually not that bad)
The Quote That Changes Everything
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin
That’s the decision point. You have to become so over your current experience and so in love with what you want to create that you finally make the decision.
Because ready is not a feeling. Ready is a decision.
The Energy Equation: What You Put Out Is What You Get Back
Here’s what you need to internalize:
Your clients mirror the energy you bring.
If you want to attract clients who are ready to take bold action, you need to embody that energy yourself and take bold action.
It’s time to show up for your online practice the way you expect your clients to show up for their health.
The practitioner’s paradox: You brilliantly guide clients through their resistance, yet you allow the same resistance to stop YOU from building the practice that would give you freedom.
Why “Just Getting Started” Matters More Than You Think
From the transcript of this training, one practitioner shared: “I’m not a beginner anymore with my practice, but starting the ONLINE piece feels like starting over.”
This is critical to understand: You’re not starting over. You’re expanding into a new medium with the same expertise.
The early adopter phase of online health practice is still happening. You haven’t missed the boat. COVID created a surge, yes, but we’re still in the pioneering stage.
People are JUST NOW realizing what’s possible with virtual healthcare. Your future clients are just beginning to understand they can work with practitioners remotely.
Your One Takeaway
If there’s ONE thing to walk away with today:
Your perfect moment is never coming. You don’t need to wait until you feel fully ready because it’s just not going to happen. You just have to decide.
Courageous action builds confidence.
Not the other way around.
The Mirror Exercise: Awareness Creates Choice
Look at your current client roster. Notice any patterns?
- Do they hesitate before committing?
- Do they question your recommendations?
- Do they start and stop frequently?
- Do they need excessive proof before trusting you?
These patterns are mirrors. They’re showing you something about the energy YOU’RE bringing to your practice.
The good news: Once you see it, you can change it. Awareness creates the opportunity for choice.
What to Do Right Now
1: Choose your sabotage pattern
Which of the 5 resonates most? Just one. Don’t try to fix all of them at once.
2: Write your reframe
Based on what you learned today, write a new belief to replace the old pattern.
3: Take one courageous action this week
Before you feel ready. B-minus work. Messy action.
4: Notice the mirror
Pay attention to how your clients respond as YOUR energy shifts.
The Practitioner’s Promise
“Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” – John Wesley
This is the energy needed to start, grow, and scale your online practice.
You have this level of passion in you. The question is: will you let people see it?
Because there’s nothing more magnetizing than someone fully lit up by their purpose.
The choice is yours:
Stay tight in the bud where it’s safe and familiar, or risk the blossom and see what you’re truly capable of creating.
Ready to dive deeper? Join our free Self-Led Online Practitioners community of 800+ health professionals where you get exclusive access to training series like WELLth Fest, monthly coaching calls, practitioner spotlights, and first access to new programs and discounts. Join the community here – it’s completely free for verified practitioners.
About the Author: Michelle Rogers, ND, MSAOM, FDN-P, is a clinical mentor and founder of The WELLthy Woman™ movement. A practicing clinician since 2012, she pivoted to mentoring fellow practitioners in 2019 after experiencing her own transformation from clinic burnout to online business success. She has since guided hundreds of health professionals to build profitable online practices using her unique integration of functional medicine expertise and scalable business strategies.
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