Well, here we are. Just a few days before the changing of the calendar and turning of the page to another chapter in your life. Of all years, this upcoming one seems to be met with sheer anticipation as we look forward to what it will bring.
I firmly believe there is no other point during the entire year where a person has more clarity and a clear-minded ability to look into the crystal ball of their future and see exactly what they want to have happen next.
Before you do that though, please, for your benefit, your health, and your sanity, take time to reflect on all that you’ve been through, what’s led you to where you are right now, and just pause to celebrate yourself.
The most valuable thing you can ever do – ideally, daily but most certainly right now – is take inventory for everything you are grateful for in your life. Don’t ever lose sight of that because when you do you lose your truest self. You become either bitter or pessimistic or both. Show me a grateful person who is truly unhappy. They simply don’t exist. Show me a truly happy person that’s ungrateful. They don’t exist either.
Now, thinking looking forward to the future. Those doctors that actually read, study, and follow through on my writings, they have likely already taken their crystal ball and looked closely into every aspect of their life as to what they want to experience in 2021. They’ve thought deeply about the priorities and objectives they plan to achieve (and therefore the changes and adjustments that need to be made) next year.
I challenge you to do the same.
This is what I call reverse engineering. It’s that ‘begin with the end in mind’ concept. You start with your final goal and work backwards on all of the sequences that need to occur in order for it become reality.
Naturally, it will require changes, otherwise it would have already happened. So, focus on what adjustments are necessary as you make progress on your objectives.
Changes in…
Mindset
Attitude
Habits
Health
Schedule
Others
Environment
Etc.
You really want to make your goals tangible if you want to have any shot at achieving them because just like every year ‘life will happen.’ The year will start and, guess what, it won’t stop for anyone or anything (2020 is the perfect example). You’ve got to be ready, laser focused, and committed to what is most important to you.
Go after it, create it, chase it down, and get it, make it happen. If it’s a goal you feel strongly about then it is a goal worthy of persevering to achieve.
That’s why I write these Monday Morning Huddles. It is all part of helping you achieve your goals. Which has less to do with dentistry and your practice and much more to do with you. Anything is possible, the question is instead are you willing to do what it takes?
It’s a function of whether these goals matter enough to you. A year from today, when you look back on 2021, what you achieved will be the truest testament to what meant the most to you.
So, of course, I wish you a wonderful and Happy New Year. However, all the wishing from me or others isn’t going to make it so. Instead, like I do every year, I’m going to challenge you to simply DECIDE that 2021 is going to be your best year ever in all the ways that matter most to you.
As you celebrate the 1st day of a “NEW” Year, remember the real exciting part is that you get to determine exactly what is going to be “NEW” about it!