Spring.
And almost three months into the New Year.
It was just 3 months ago when the New Year began. What about those goals you set? Those resolutions you made? How are you doing on achieving them?
You know, it is just amazing, working with the great doctors and staffs that we do. It is so evident that success is so attainable. It is just peeking around the corner, waiting for you to do just that next key action that will propel your office to pick up the speed needed to take you to the next level.
One doctor we are working with, after being in practice nearly 20 years, is hitting his best ever days and highest ever weeks this month. His staff have been emailing us their successes as if they are texting us from a rock concert!
We live for this stuff, by the way – your successes. Many times after years of gradual improvements, it is so gratifying to see an office take off with stability.
Another doctor who has been in practice for years has been breaking collections records. And volume…seems like it is nothing to have a 1000 visit month – with many if not most new patients coming in from referrals. One doctor we work with routinely sees over 1000 visits each month, and each month works with his colleagues and associates to help them hit their best-evers. Another doctor had over 150 on the books for him to see yesterday (Wednesday).
From our perspective, it looks like chiropractic is having a renaissance.
Of course, this is not the case with all of our clients. Some are still laying foundations for future growth. Success can come, but sometimes only after years of implementing the right procedures.
But what are these “right procedures”, and where do you look? Insurance department, clinic management and organization, marketing?
Some of you may feel that you are in a rut, that you and your practice are stuck. If so, take heart and have hope. Things can change and you can do better. We have seen it happen with many doctors in these last three months.
There are so many distractions in our lives, and many of them are negative and disheartening. Demoralizing. Frightening. Discouraging. Yet, we see doctors who have been stuck, finally get things going and do better. After years of stagnation, we see them do their best ever.
Practice development success is dependent on the quality of your systems and organization. That’s 50%
What’s the other 50%?
Part II
The other 50% is an “Inside Job.” That is, your success is dependent upon the structure of your office, but also on the function of your behavior. The quality, and quantity, of your energy, your attitude, and your creativity is easily 50% the cause of your success, or not.
So, if your numbers are down, you should spend half your time improving your systems, and half your time…improving yourself.
Are you frightened stiff? Have you developed “hardening of the attitudes”? Are you resentful, a seething caldron of anger? Do you feel burned out, frustrated, or feel like you just can not make the changes needed? Believe me, this manifests one way or another in your practice. And in all areas of your life.
We all experience these feelings, among others, at times. Sometimes they are acute. But after you have been in business for a while, you may not even notice that you have become less than enthusiastic about practice.
Yet, even if you were locked up in solitary confinement, you would still have the power of choice. You could still be creative. Even if you were shackled, starved, beaten, imprisoned, you could still find meaning and purpose in your life.
This is the basis of an entire branch of psychology as developed by a former prisoner of the Nazi death camps, Victor Frankl. His observations lead him to identify what he saw as the basic principles of living, including:
- “Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
- “Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.”
Successful people have meaning in their lives.
If you can find purpose and meaning in this very moment, in this day, with your next patient, with this year, your probability of success will be greatly increased. More importantly, you will find that what you are doing is more satisfying.
Fear will vanish, hardened attitudes will become flexible, and your energy will return.
Structural changes will need to take place, of course. Better clinic systems and organizational procedures will then take you to the top. And keep you there.
We can help with all of these, by the way. But you should know and be reassured that chiropractic is happening. It is hip, it is popular, and it is growing, probably more so now than ever before.
Naysayers say otherwise to promote their goods or services. They are sell outs. Don’t buy what they are peddling. Chiropractors have always been challenged and it is actually what has helped you be strong and survive. Insurance cutbacks are not new.
After more than 20 years in business, we are still amazed each day when we hear of the stories patients tell of their success.
Chiropractic works. It has, does, and will for at least the rest of this year. So, find your meanings and purposes, get help to upgrade your clinic procedures and organization, and make those yearly goals you set for 2008.
Heck — why not beat them and make this year your best ever?
Spring has its own meaning, its own purpose: to grow and create. This can be your purpose too.
Every moment, every day. Right now.
