November 2003

Core needs that shape us

by Dr. Dennis Nikitow

Do you often wonder why some people struggle in their search for happiness and are frustrated, depressed or anxious in their journey through life while others seem to be so content?

Happiness and contentment can be achieved more easily if we understand how to satisfy our core needs. These core needs motivate us and drive us on both a conscious and subconscious level. How they are met vary vastly from individual to individual, and when you understand how to satisfy them in yourself and your patients, you'll be on your way to a happier, more content life and practice.

The first thing needed is certainty.

When we are certain we have a sense of security and comfort. Certainty can come from knowledge and understanding. When patients understand chiropractic they are more comfortable in using it for their entire family. When doctors have a system to apply in their practice for communicating, repositioning, patient management, technique and payment strategies, they are secure about the outcome and are more certain.

Ask yourself where you get your certainty. What makes you secure and comfortable? How could you increase your level of certainty?

Paradoxically, the next need is variety, or a sense of uncertainty.

Life would be total boredom with all certainty and no variety. Think of a patient on an adjustment schedule going three or four times per week. If you didn't do periodic re‑exams to evaluate the patient there would be no variety. What if you wore the same clothes or ate the same food every day? While relationships need consistency in certain respects to have certainty, they need variety to remain strong. Telling your spouse you love him or her could begin to lose meaning if you never show it with some variety.

The fact is, we thrive on surprise and challenges in our lives. Think of ways to create variety for you and your patients. Patient appreciation, after hours parties, theme promotions and food drives are some examples.

The next thing we all need is a sense of significance. Significance is a sense of being needed, having a purpose, mission, and a unique meaning. Chiropractic alone may give you significance. Some people find significance in fame, money, friendship, kids, family, spiritualism, who they know, or learning. The key is check to see if what gives you significance is also fulfilling you. If it's not, you may be burning out, trying to gain significance but never becoming fulfilled. Without fulfillment you will not get peace of mind.

We also need the feeling of connection and love.

You have to be careful that your significance if its found in fame or uniqueness, does not separate you from connection with others or you will violate this need. Think about famous people who aren't happy because they've lost connection and love with normal, everyday people.

How can you establish better connection and love with your patients? Knowing their names, their families, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, writing personalized thank you notes, affirming, praising, serving from the heart are all ways to help establish connection and love.

Another need is growth, or constant improvement.

Imagine how you'd feel if you got a little better everyday? We strive for growth and improvement in most ways. Work, play, personal development, marriages, family, etc. If we are not growing in some way, we lose stimulation and look for something else.

The growth and improvement in video game play has provided children enough stimulation to make it grow to a multi‑billion dollar industry. Doctors constantly strive for practice growth because of the feeling we get in helping more people, gaining more income, and achieving more significance. When patients see their posture and x‑rays changing they appreciate the growth and improvement in their health.

What other ways can you think of to increase patients' growth? How about giving them educational materials to broaden their knowledge of chiropractic for wellness, kids, and families?

The last need is feeling that you are contributing.

What's ironic is some people contribute but don't feel they have! The importance here is that you feel you've contributed. Some people work all week then join volunteer groups to feel as though they're contributing. That's how significant contributing is.

How can you help patients feel they are contributing? People want to contribute in helping you help more patients by referring them to you. All you have to do is ask them to. Ask them to take some time and explain chiropractic to others. Tell them how and they will be satisfying a core need by contributing to helping you and your practice.

By understanding core human needs you can begin to understand why you and patients balance in certain ways. Most people are satisfying four out of the six needs. When you want to change a behavior, ask yourself how you're satisfying each need and what you'd have to change. How would you have to alter the change to satisfy the need at an 8‑10 level. Once you've discovered that, you're well on your way to a more fulfilling life and practice.

(To learn more about Certainty Practice Products and Dr. Dennis Nikitow's upcoming seminar schedule, call 800/544‑3884. Outside the United States, 303/721‑6202.)