Start with the end in mind
Taking the time to “plan your next step” in so many facets of life is always a challenge…and dentistry is no exception.
As dentists, it often feels like your day is an endless procession of moving from one patient to the next faster than the eye can see. To keep up, you just have to “roll up your sleeves, dive right in and get stuff done.”
And doesn’t that feel like how things have been for much of your life? First you graduated from high school and then “dove right in” on your undergraduate studies. There was little time to think and plan…you chose your courses from the given curriculum and off you went.
After undergrad, you repeated the same process in dental school – get your course load and “dive right in.” Even after graduation, you likely “dove right in” on your first position as an associate.
Finally, when the time was right, you “dove right in” to purchase or build your first practice. That is a whole lot of diving!
If that sounds familiar, I have a question for you: at any time in this process, have you ever stopped to ask yourself what is your end goal? Your end goal for your practice? For your life? What are you “diving in” to achieve?
It is a simple question. Five short words: “what is your end goal?” But while the question may be simple, the answer is not. The reason for that is there is no one simple answer to this question.
The answer will vary depending upon the individual. That means each of you needs to begin at the end to come up with your personal answer.
So, what brings you the most joy in your life? How much money do you need to be able to finance the life you dream of? How long do you want to work and how much money will you need to save to afford that dream life in retirement?
These are the questions great CEO’s ask themselves. This exercise forces them to look closely at how they control their business to ensure it operates successfully while still allowing them to meet their personal needs.
When you answer these questions, you realize how much money you need to earn to finance your lifestyle. Then you can begin to unpack how many hours you need to spend at work every week, what sort of work you need to perform in that time to create your desired income, how much vacation time will you require every year to help create balance in your life, and how to structure your work environment so those dreams can become a reality.
When you “dive right in” as most of us do, you never stop to consider these questions. You just keep going because that is what you do. That is what you have always done.
That’s great…if your goal is to be an Olympic diver. But if your goal is to take charge of your life, you need to take charge of your dental practice. And that starts by truly understanding what your life goals are and how your practice can help you achieve them.
So, take charge…and start at the end. It’s what a true dental CEO would do.
*Photo provided by iStock
