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.
