Must your past equal your future?

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

Are you chained to a life of mediocrity or can you break the chains?

Many people consider their life to be just what it is with little chance of changing. In other words, if someone's successful they'll always be successful, or if a D.C. has an average practice and life he or she will stay there. The truth is, your past does NOT equal your future -- unless you want it to.

If you currently have a successful practice it won't stay that way unless you continually put effort into it. Many practitioners mistakenly think this effort is just showing up for work. While that is a piece of the puzzle, it is not the critical piece.

Showing up at the gym to work out is a great first step, but you need to move on to the real thing -- the workout. Similarly, if you aren't continually educating your patients and the community, your practice will wear down. If you're not continually refining and improving your office procedures and training your C.A.s, you'll have to put more effort and money into your office just to keep above water. Chiropractic is so much more than just taking care of patients.

If you find yourself experiencing a lack of growth, it can be traced back to a lack of input on your part. There is a natural tendency to coast when all is well in your practice and to panic when all is not well. We tell our C.A.s and ourselves that it's the economy, the war, people just don't want to be healthy, etc. Yet, nothing could be farther from the truth. The answer to our lack of growth is that we are not training. Without training there can be no sustained growth. At Renaissance the first question we ask potential Mentor IV family members is, "Are you willing to do what it takes to be successful?"

You can change yourself and your office anytime you want to. Remember, your past does not equal your future -- unless you want it to. If the last training or homework that you did was in school then you are in trouble. It's like entering a boxing ring with no preparation. You're in for a rude awakening.

Ever have the nightmare where you arrive in class unprepared for a test? Most of our chiropractic colleges never teach us that for the rest of our lives we have to continually train and study to grow professionally and personally. Ask sports figures how far natural talent takes them. It may get them to the "show" (professional sports) but it won't keep them there. They must continually train or it's back to the minor leagues.

As coaches, we're amazed at what chiropractors will invest in rather than themselves. YOU are the most important investment you will ever make in your life! Once you commit to the process of growth it becomes a way of life. It's almost like chocolate -- you can't get enough of it.

Before they start training, many chiropractors cringe at the mention of the word discipline. However, once they get over their reasons for not committing to the process of change and "get at it," they're so proud of their accomplishments. Growing is such fun.

If you have a great practice and you want to go to the next level, you must train. If you have a mediocre practice and you want to change, you must train.

At Renaissance we know that your practice growth begins with YOUR personal growth. The D.C.s with the biggest practices and who are having the most fun train the hardest. They have a complete system of patient education and office procedure in place that reflects wellness. When your office reflects wellness you attract families as well as acute care patients.

Must your past equal your future? The choice is up to you. What could be fairer?

(A complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working on the doctor from the inside out, The New Renaissance is the next generation of office procedure, chiropractic mindset for success, and patient education for today's chiropractor. The new Mentor IV Practice Development Program takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities of doctors in the field. Learn more about The New Renaissance by contacting Dr. Kevin Pallis at 781/255-7080, Dr. Ed Plentz at 517/592-8208, or The New Renaissance world headquarters, 800/525-3879.)