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Plan on Getting Tired

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

yawn1 Do you ever wonder why the end of your day can be so tiresome?

Coaching dentists over the last 20 years, one thing I have clearly observed is that dentists in their 30’s get tired around 5:00 pm, dentists in their 40’s get tired around 4:00 pm, dentists in their 50’s get tired before 3:00 pm, dentists in their 60’s get tired by 2:00 pm, and if you are in your 70’s you definitely need a nap right after lunch.

The number one thing that dentists don’t plan for is “getting tired.”

When you are young you feel like you can work forever. Fatigue and gravity will soon sneak up on you faster than you bargained for. That’s why it is critical for you to plan on getting tired in your career and to build a business plan and schedule that suits that.

Most dentists do it the other way around and build a building and then let the financial appetite of the practice grow to the point that they have to “feed the monster” every month. Isn’t it funny that this monster always rears its ugly head right before you run payroll?

Build a business model that allows you to be nimble and profitable, so that when your body and life changes, your business can change with it.

I love bumping into the 70-year-old dentists who are still practicing because they love it. A lot of times they tell me they are working because they noticed that when their friends retired from dentistry they usually died.

So it inspires them to work on their own terms, which are: 3 days a week from 7-1, they have a 40% OH, and most importantly they find meaning (or significance) in still serving the hearts of the patients they love. Beats meeting a 70 year old dentist who is still looking for a partner (or someone to buy them out) and most likely will die at the chair.

Life on your own terms is a beautiful thing…try it..I think you might like it.

Kirk

Tags: business plan, coaching dentists, dentists get tired, financial appetite, getting tired, live life, live on your own terms, living on your own terms, profitable, tired in your career
Posted in Performance Coaching, Time Management | No Comments »

Be Careful of BSO’s

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Bright-Shiny-Objects

Running your dental practice requires a lot of energy and focus.

Lately, I have heard a lot from dentists about finding it hard to focus with the amount of work that they have in front of them. They share that they have charts piling up, systems to write, production to maintain, hygienists to hire, specialists to call and overdue career conferences (reviews) that they have to schedule with team members. The list goes on forever.

On top of that, their spouse is calling the practice adding to their “To Do’s” and commitments outside of work are starting to forge their way into much-needed sleep time.

All of these business “To Do’s” are important to the health and vitality of your practice, as much as the personal “To-Do’s” are important to having a happy life. Getting these disciplines done has become a chore for most dentists.

A major problem in our Attention Deficit World that makes these disciplines harder is BSO’s (Bright-Shiny-Objects). This problem is especially harmful for dentists. They love BSO’s. BSO’s don’t nudge you off track…they drag you off track.

BSO’s can be unnecessary email, television shows, too many chocolate chip cookies (my #1 problem), surfing the internet only to forget what you were looking for, People Magazine, new computer equipment, etc.

BSO’s are shiny in color but lack substance. They easily distract you from the necessary disciplines that are essential to our everyday lives. BSO’s can separate spouses, put weight on your body and your schedule, push back deadlines, and add unnecessary debt - but most of all they serve as fake recovery methods for the avoidance of pain (discipline) in our lives.

Be careful of the BSO’s that lack discipline, substance and productivity in your life.

Hope to see you at an event soon!

Kirk

Tags: attention deficit world, bright shiny objects, BSOs, career conferences, dental practice, dentists, email, off track
Posted in Inspiration and Motivation, Performance Coaching | No Comments »

Life Lesson #2: When in Doubt, Just Take the Next Small Step

Monday, May 18th, 2009

I once read a snippet called ”The 45 Lessons Life Taught Me.” It is one of my favorite pieces; consequently, I’m going to illustrate each lesson on this blog. In the end, I hope you’re as inspired as I am to make each day better than the last. You can read my interpretation of life lesson #1 here.

tn_bran_castle_romania_spiral_stairs

LESSON #2: When in doubt, just take the next small step.

I’ve had the privilege of competing in many athletic events, including triathlons, so I know how applicable this particular life lesson can be. For runners, swimmers and cyclists, there comes a point when the mind asks, “Can this body really go on?” And, of course, the antidote to such thinking is just to take the next step… then the next… then the next. Eventually, the desire to stop passes and you’re that much farther toward your goal.

The same is true in your practice. Many dental professionals and executives meet an impasse and instinctively stop everything. They aren’t certain what to do. So their first reaction is to do nothing at all. It’s a human response and makes sense from a survivalist standpoint, but in the business world, doing nothing can be deadly.

Rather than allowing doubt to stall your forward momentum, I encourage you to just take the next small step if you’re overwhelmed by doubt or fear. All successful people have fear. What separates the successful from everyone else is that they don’t focus on the emotions of fear. Instead, they focus on the INTENTION of their goals and take a step forward. It doesn’t have to be a huge step – it can be something tiny…as long as it is forward.

Remember your physics: “A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest.”

So don’t be afraid to move. Take a step forward!