My Thoughts on This New Business
Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language-hearing therapists are all active on the front lines of medical and nursing care every day.
Rehabilitation is a truly wonderful profession that helps patients and users get as close as possible to their original lives and functions, improving their quality of life (QOL). Recently, rehabilitation has even expanded into the field of prevention, helping to protect people's rich lives.
Rehabilitation therapists are such wonderful professionals.
They protect the lives of the public and, on a national level, reduce medical expenses.
It is an essential job for people to live high-quality lives as healthily and for as long as possible.
Even during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, rehabilitation therapists continued to work without rest.
When medical resources were strained, you may have even helped with tasks outside your area of expertise.
Contributing to society and to others—
That is the kind of work it is.
On Twitter, the topic of "therapist annual income" often comes up.
People say the income is low or that there is no expectation for growth.
Compared to other medical professions or jobs with similar average incomes, objectively speaking, one cannot simply say the "salary is low" given the many holidays, low overtime, and young average age, but the majority of people feel that way.
Why is that?
Perhaps the reason you all feel that way is because you perceive a certain value in your own work.
"I am doing a wonderful job."
"It is a necessary job for society and for people."
Even though you feel that way, there is a gap between the "salary," which quantifies the value, and the "value" of the work you believe in.
That is why you feel the "salary (compensation) is low."
On the other hand, because it is a job you love, you "want to continue as much as possible."
That is why many people study side businesses or investments.
Many also aim to start their own businesses in the future.
Rehabilitation therapists are all good people.
Honestly, if you want more money, you should just change jobs.
Of course, it might require study or obtaining certifications, but for those of you who studied desperately in vocational school or university and passed the national exam, it should not be impossible.
But the majority of people do not do that.
—Because you love your current job.
Because you love it, you try to find a way to continue.
You even invest your own time and money into self-improvement.
Yet, your income does not increase properly.
Isn't that too sad?
Is the future of Japan going to be okay?
That is what I thought.
So, how can rehabilitation therapists continue their work while demonstrating their maximum potential, without harboring anxiety about the future or dissatisfaction with the current situation?
I believe the hint lies in strengthening the connections within the same profession.
The best way to solve a problem is to consult with someone.
Who is the person who understands your worries the best?
Of course, family and friends might worry about you.
However, if their profession is different, there are things they cannot understand.
Isn't the best person to understand you a colleague in the same profession who is in the same situation?
And what if you could consult with even more people?
What if there were a place where those connections could be easily made?
I want to create a "world" where that is possible together with you all.
"A service by rehabilitation therapists, for rehabilitation therapists, of rehabilitation therapists."
Wouldn't it be good to have such a service?
Sometimes, laughing together,
Sometimes, consulting with each other,
Sometimes, debating,
And studying together to compensate for each other's shortcomings.
Wouldn't you like it if that could be done with almost no financial investment?
First, to create a microcosm of that "world," I will gather 100 colleagues.
All 100 people will become founders and create the "world" while exchanging opinions together.
There is nothing that beats the power of a group.
100 people become 1,000, 1,000 people become 10,000...
If many people participate, wouldn't we be able to find a way to resolve the gap between "salary" and "value" mentioned earlier?
The moment you read this text, the project has already started.
Why don't you become one of the "100 who started it all"?
I am just one of those 100 people.
Although I am the organizer, I want to sit on the same level as you all and make this project a success. It is an organization that prioritizes horizontal connections over a top-down approach.
I sincerely look forward to the participation of those of you who want to change the future of your profession.
Come on, let's create a new "world" together!
2022.8.13
"New Business Support Team for Therapists" Organizer NAKa