Closing One Year and Starting Another

TheDailyFloss-Dr-Pam-Marzban- guest-dental-blog_So, last month I started a blog that was part one of a series of three. The focus was on practice evaluation.  It gave ideas and methods that you can quickly and simply implement to evaluate your progress at the end of the business  year.  This month is about direction.  Direction is simply creating news goals while staying in line to complete goals that are already in motion.   The following are 3 steps to give you guidance in creating direction.

Part 2 in a 3-part series : Direction

  1. Taking an introspective look at what you want personally.

    Believe it or not…it all starts with you.  We have only one life and each and every one of us deserves happiness. With that being said, happiness should come from you. It is nobody else’s responsibility to make you feel good.  If you are not happy with yourself, does anything else really matter?  How you feel reflects on every interaction you have and everything you do.

Try this exercise with me… grab a piece of paper and a pen and take a moment to write down answers to these next questions.
*  What are 5 things I do on a daily basis that makes me happy?

  • What are 5 things that frustrate me daily?
  • What’s one thing I can do/change on a daily basis that would make my day better? The things that make your days good, keep them up…appreciate them and don’t lose grasp of those things.  The things that are upsetting or frustrating, try to figure out why they occur. Perhaps, there are simple changes you can do to prevent these occurrences.  Try not to change too much at once.  Making one change to your day will have a positive impact that is realistic and easy to commit to.  If you continuously make small, but positive changes, over time the quality of your life will be so much better.
  1. Taking an introspective look at what you want professionally.

    If you know what makes you happy on personal level, it will be easier to filter what is professionally working for you and what is not.  Are there team members that don’t fall in line with your practice mission statement? I realize nobody likes going through the process of terminating, hiring and training new team but dead weight is dead weight.  Having a person who doesn’t belong in the team brings down everyone in the office and creates mental clutter for you.

Are you doing the dentistry you want to be doing?  If there are procedures that you hate doing, then stop doing them.  Put your energy in things that you enjoy doing because as you gain experience, you well become an expert and develop a niche in your practice that your team and community will recognize and then you will be doing even more of what you enjoy and becoming more profitable.

  1. Revisiting goals you have previously established.

    When you create goals, you have to write them down and date them.  They must have deadlines that can be firm or flexible, but a deadline must be written.  If you have done this, then make sure you revisit your goals on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.  Are you achieving these goals or not?  If so, acknowledge your work and celebrate your success in the matter; if not, figure out what were the obstacles and create a new plan to attain that goal.

People don’t typically hop in their car and drive aimlessly without a destination.   We all need direction and this comes from understanding yourself, making goals and honoring your commitments.

Next #FunFriday: I will discuss how to implement these goals and create the new year business projection…until then, be well and be happy.☺