I took the jump this year. The big jump from public to private sector. I knew it was time.I was stuck in a bit of a rut with teaching. It took me over 12 years to realise that it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I had some great times in different schools, most notably in Ballingarry, but looking back, even though I was financially secure, I was quite unhappy in my chosen career path. In my 20's, I assumed that once you choose a career then that is it for life until you retire at 65. The turning point for me came one day as I was travelling to work in one wet November morning in 2015 and I glanced in at the cows grazing in a field. At that moment in time I envied the life of a cow. Clearly, It was time for a change. I turned down the chance of a fairly permanent teaching job and I decided to contact South Tipp Development Company and Intreo and take my chances on self employment.I invested in a log cabin studio. I kitted it out with everything I needed in order to greatly enhance my work as a Physical Therapist and Coach.The next step is marketing.Marketing a new business in a competitive environment is a balancing act. How do I make people aware of the services I offer without annoying them and bombarding them needlessly on social media? I am still learning all about social media marketing (When I attained my Business and Marketing Degree in 2004, there was no such thing as social media! Even when I qualified as a Physical & Neuromuscular Therapist in 2008, Bebo was the dominant force in social media) Luckily for me, word of mouth referrals are still the best form of advertising. I really am thankful to all my regular clients for passing on my details to friends and relatives and teammates etc..I've been very lucky to be surrounded with like minded people who have offered great support and encouragement all year round. Mark Young has also been a great mentor to me over the years and we always have great chats about how technology and testing can benefit athletes. Over the last year, my eyes have been fully opened to how hard life can be for the vast majority of people who operate in the private sector. In the private sector, if you don't work hard and try your absolute best then that's that. There's a reason why so many new Businesses fail. How can I prevent that from happening? How can I ensure that I have enough income to pay all the bills? Simple answer. Work hard, embrace it, be positive and keep the faith. There's going to be hard times as well as good times. Putting food on the table and having a roof over my head for my family is my greatest motivator to work hard. That's why I love my job. I am truly motivated. I genuinely enjoy every treatment, consultation, and coaching session. For the first time in my life, I feel 100% happy regarding my career, but I am not naive enough to think it's going to be easy all the way. The risks are substantial. That's life!Today is New Years Eve 2017. Tomorrow I embark on  two new training plans with my athletes: 'New Year, New You' and 'April Marathon'.There are 30 athletes registered with my online coaching platform for various races and goals in 2018. My Physical Therapy and Sports massage practice is growing organically at a rate I am happy with. 2017 was a very successful year for all athletes I have had the pleasure of coaching and I hope to see them strive for more success in 2018. My two most notable groups were the Challenge Mallorca Triathlon Group and the Dublin Marathon Group. It was such an enjoyable few months with these two highly motivated groups and I don't think they'll forget the Tickincor and track sessions in a hurry!New for 2018 I will be testing all athletes on my online platform on my treadmill and smart turbo using Stryd Running powermeter and Wahoo Tickr X Heart Rate Monitor. There is no shortcut to success in sport. I adhere strictly to the "Less is More" rule. Doing too much too soon will inevitably lead to burn out and injury. Proper nutrition with clever training plus patience and trust will lead to success. Embrace the bad days as well as the good. They will make your positive experiences even greater. On that note, I'm signing off on 2017. Here's to a great 2018. Happy New Year Ian