By the time many of you read this, we will be nearing Thanksgiving, Black Friday, the official start of the holiday season and for some of you, the worst time of the year for your chiropractic practice. In fact, I have spoken to quite of few of you recently who are getting downright cranky that the holidays are approaching and once again, they look like they will thwart reek havoc on your schedule.
Quite frankly, many of you need to stop worrying about the imperfections of your holiday schedule and instead use the time for rest, relaxation, or fun with family and friends. While some may scoff at the idea of taking a vacation, a few days off or spending time doing anything non-business related during a recession, I consider it an investment.
In fact, given the present economic upheaval, the most surefire investment a chiropractor can make is one in himself or herself. I am no wall street guru; I do not pretend to know all there is about real estate, precious metals, tax lien certificates or even storage unit auctions as means to earn a fortune. One thing that I do know is that dollars invested in myself, my practice or my business have one common denominator that can contribute to success and one thing that I can control: me.
Part of that investment needs to be in activities that rejuvenate you. For the Latin scholars reading this, you will note that the word rejuvenate stems from the same root as our word juvenile. In other words, to rejuvenate yourself is to make yourself young again. Although I do not claim to have found what Herodotus, Alexander the Great and Ponce de Leon all searched for – the mythical fountain of youth – I have observed three things that play a common role in the lives of successful chiropractors. Since you won’t have to check your mailbox for any Christmas present from me this year, let me share the “secrets” with you. Each of these “secrets” to chiropractic happiness and fulfillment are what I have seen manifested in docs with fantastic practices. With this knowledge, I hope to encourage you to make a proper “investment” in your own success and position yourself to have the best year ever in 2010 (regardless of what the economy is doing):
Investment #1: Willingness.
It always amazes me how the very best practitioners — ones who seem to know the most and who have mastered their craft and business in many ways – still possess a level of open-mindedness, humility and willingness to learn that surpasses most of their peers and even many younger docs who should lack the “know it all” attitude. In fact, I have yet to meet a doc with a booming business who is not someone who would fit the moniker of a “lifetime learner” and who is always willing to improve.
Age does not play a factor in these successful docs because they have discovered one important element of the fountain of youth: a brain engaged stays sharp, regardless of its age. As a result, these docs stay forever young because they are forever engaged in trying to improve themselves personally, professionally and as the CEO of their business.
Best way to utilize your “willingness” investment: Before things feel like they are about to cave in, take a moment (or a day or a weekend or more) and reflect on what you CAN do to positively impact your business rather than focusing on what the economy or other arbitrary events may hurl your way. Use your new skills, a fresh perspective or just pigheaded determination to get your brain to find some solutions on how you can improve. But this will only happen if you put in the time and effort to sharpen your brain and are willing to focus on what YOU can do to grow your business.
Investment Myth to Ignore: One of the stumbling blocks that I see many DC’s fall over (and early in my career, myself included) is the belief that they have to do it all alone. Sure, your brain is a wonderful piece of God’s creation and generally underutilized. However, there is no rule that dictates you have to be the one to figure out all the ideas by yourself. In fact, one of the simplest ways to ensure that you are stuck in the same frustrating rut forever is to create your own paradox and allow yourself to be boxed in by your own constraints.
Here’s a perfect example: I get many calls and emails from flustered docs who can’t grow their business or improve their income because they don’t know how. Yet, they either don’t seek assistance or reason that they can’t afford it because they lack income. Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to your own Catch-22. It has nothing to do with talents, funding, opportunity, location, economy, or many of the other excuses we use for our own subpar practices. The only thing necessary to break the cycle of doom is…(you guessed it)… willingness.
The world is full of examples to this point. It is the reason some athletes are paid millions while superior talent sits at home undiscovered. Why some musicians play on stage for all the world to hear while those with better chops beat the drums in their bedroom. Why some business owners launch their success while every conceivable argument for sanity speaks against them. Each are willing to pay the price – be it in time, effort, or financial – to succeed. With proper focus, willingness can overcome much, if not all, adversity the world throws our way.
Investment #2: Rotate & Replenish
Though success can be defined in many ways, I would argue that lopsided success is really not success at all. In other words, if your business provides you with a fantastic measure of financial or professional satisfaction and comfort but your family, your marriage or your sanity has been sacrificed upon the altar of your practice, you do not meet the definition of a success in my eyes. Certainly, financial success is important for all of our businesses. I have yet to meet a DC who runs a 501(c)3 practice by any legal definition, but too many of you are practically running your business without profit. Certainly, this is not good, but it is not the whole picture.
Chiropractors need to grasp the principles that generations of farmers have come to understand. You can only farm the same soil for so long before you need to rotate your crop, replenish the soil or risk failure.
For some of us, this means we need to go home to our families at a decent hour before the relationships wither up. For others, it means we need to take time off and get our brains going in a different direction for a change. Still others should perhaps focus on the “rotate” principle. In other words, do something DIFFERENT, perhaps within your business or perhaps in your personal life. Just do something that takes you out of your comfort zone or that has potential to get you out of your rut.
I see two things happen to chiropractors who fail to do this: They either burn out or they tune out. They lose all motivation to practice because they have been stuck in the same rut for so long that they feel they can never escape. Burn outs stop marketing, stop trying to learn, let their paperwork pile up and drag themselves to work everyday because they need a paycheck. What’s scary is that burnout is not exclusive to DC’s in practice for 20+ years; I have observed this phenomenon in frustrated docs who have been in practice 5 years or less!
Others have been doing the same thing for so long that they effectively ignore their surroundings – they are tuned out and sometimes aware of what is even happening to and around them. They practice in offices that look like vintage 1989 and have the procedures and systems to match. They have been coasting for so long that they simply forget to apply the gas. Gravity will eventually pull their practices to the ground. Ironically, most “tune outs” notice this several years before they want to sell and retire. Thus, they have positioned their business for the worst possible return on their investment of a lifetime of work.
Regardless of which camp you may be closer to, realize the need to rotate and replenish as a key towards long term chiropractic success.
Investment #3: Give Back
Successful people in any walk of life are not selfish. They realize they have not achieved their success on their own, therefore they are willing to share their success with others. Even if you don’t count yourself a total success in every avenue of life or practice, there is probably something that you are good at. Commit yourself to giving back in that area. (Caution: be judicious here and look at yourself with a critical eye, as you don’t want to be the blind leading the blind. Truly pick something you KNOW or that colleagues tell you that you do well.)
In addition to making you feel good, giving back has a strange way of furthering you along. Anyone who has done missions work, community service or just spent time with marginal or special populations will tell you that they received much more than they ever gave. Similarly, those who tithe know that you don’t give a portion of your income to the church because you expect God to multiply it, but often your faithfulness is rewarded in just that manner.
So, give back. If you can’t think of where you should start, then start with the simplest form of giving: gratitude. Be grateful and thankful that you have a career in which you can touch lives, help people and make an honest living working in nice surroundings (no matter what your office looks like, it probably beats working on a roof, on the back of a garbage truck or slogging through a tube pushing fish into a container below). Thank your patients who have given the hard earned money in support of your business, your family and your lifestyle.
In some way, giving back helps us keep perspective on the big picture of what we are doing here which somehow helps fuel us to make our practices and the world a better place. Perhaps that is why so many successful DC’s give back – to their alma mater, to their profession or to their community. It’s one of the few perpetual cycles in life that is nice to be a part of. If you are not doing something on a regular basis that has absolutely no ties to marketing, business development or other financial gain, I challenge you to do so. You will feel good and probably gain as a result anyway- truly a win/win!
Hopefully, this will be some good food for thought to savor over your Thanksgiving holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving – Be well!
Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA
P.S. One last comment: insight is not good enough. It takes ACTION! So, after you have mapped a plan for your success, decided on areas to improve, or have committed yourself to changing directions, you need to get moving and take concrete steps towards the fulfillment of your plan! Not sure where to start? Need some direction? Know you can’t do it all alone? Fill out my Practice Analysis Questionnaire and I will review your specific situation FREE of charge and contact you to discuss my findings. No obligations, no hidden fees, no credit card needed to start your “free” trial.
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