In keeping with our theme from last week, I hope you took some time to ponder, to reflect, to consider where you are out of alignment. It could be with your schedule or your treatment planning or presenting or the implications of insurance in your practice. It could be in your morning huddles or your team meetings or even with the cleanliness of the office.
Personally… it could be in your car or your house or your closet. It could be with your morning or evening schedule or the way you use time on the weekends never feeling you have a chance to catch your breath or recharge. It could be with your nutrition or with your exercise or self-care. It could be with your faith or reading or any other journey you might be on.
You see, “state of ideal” is about alignment with what you want. Everybody has this in their minds. If it goes unrecognized or never discussed (even with just yourself), then you are, by default, like a feather in the wind floating at the mercy of everyone.
This is why it is important that you decide – that’s a keyword: DECIDE – the way you want to be or how you want something done. Of course, I’m talking about the things you can control, which are the only things that you should be focused on anyways (although, that is always a lot more things than most people are willing to take responsibility for).
You have some built in structure (ex: the time you have to be at the practice everyday and the time you have to leave) in your life. Still, what you do before, after and when you aren’t at the office is of course totally up to you and how you proactively or reactively live your life.
Oh sure, other people can always try to force their negative energy on you but you don’t have to be a victim of others. You are in fact in charge of your own feelings. Not always the easiest thing to accept but that is how it works after all.
All too often we tend to focus on the one thing not going our way or give the most negative person all of your attention. At the end of the day, your energy is left on empty all because you gave someone permission to take all of yours.
The only way to prevent that from happening (because the negative forces never leave), is to accept responsibility that you allowed it to occur.
Case in point: often I am asked about a certain circumstance with this “one patient” or a scenario that was less than ideal. The problem will be posed to me as though this is a non-stop daily occurrence. I will ask some clarifying questions to find out that it’s this outlier experience that happens at best once in a while and yet we are discussing it and people are trying to make decisions about it as if it’s the norm.
This is exactly what I mean about making exceptions versus state of the ideal. Human nature tends to let the exceptions dictate the rules instead of the other way around.
Here’s a better way notion…
Don’t live your life on or by variables, live it on and by principles.
In your life, what are your guiding principles? And what variables get in the way?
This is a great exercise for your team as well. Share what each other believes to be your guiding principles in your practice and where are you making too many exceptions.
You are looking to find where have you let the variables and the “once in a while’s” get in the way of the principles and the ‘way it is supposed to be done.’
And please don’t fall into the trap of saying “we believe in taking care of our patients” or a “patient centered practice” – those are as cliché. They sound nice but it’s not good enough. These are vague statements without meaning until you GIVE IT MEANING.
You can define those phrases by your ideals for patient care, for the outcomes you want, for your teamwork, for the dentistry you want to do, for your financial results. Simply put: your expectations for a perfect day.
All the same questions go for your life too. Here’s what I will say to you right now: the more you define it, the more you are aware of it, the more you will live it.
Most people resist structure because they don’t want to be accountable to themselves to follow-through. They don’t want to live with the disappointment of letting themselves or anyone else down. Therefore, they accept the fate of the aimless feather going through life directed by someone else’s current.
Call me old fashion but I say life is far too valuable, you are worth far too much to yourself and others to throw your hands up and give in to the whims of the world, to live by exception instead of ideal, to be at the mercy of everyone else’s variables instead of setting your own principles you deserve to live, thrive, prosper by.
We could talk about insurance and patients and dentistry all day. That may be what you do – but it isn’t all you are. I’d take some more time to think about you, your life and how you want to live it, if it were me.
The best way to help your patients get to their state of ideals is to run your practice and to live your life at yours.
