June 2004

Link between procrastination and poverty

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

There you sit, slouched in your chair, waiting for an opportunity to jump out of the day's mail. Surely opportunity will find me, you think. Well, here it is. The opportunity you've been dreaming about.

There's an old saying, "If your ship hasn't come in, you might just have to row out to meet it." Well, now may be the time to get in your rowboat and start rowing. Perish the thought that you might have to actually create your life and opportunity rather than being blown around in the wind like a ship without a rudder.

It's apparent that successful DCs are constantly seizing and creating opportunities for themselves. They:

***  Are leaders, not followers, and not driven by the acceptance of others;

***  Don't fall for trendy marketing, expensive advertising, or slick schemes;

***  Communicate with and educate every patient;

***  Do not throw new patients away after a few visits of symptomatic relief and replace them; and

***  Do not procrastinate but create opportunities for themselves and others.

These successful DCs read, train, and are constantly improving themselves and their offices. The opportunity is within you, not outside of you. When you invest in yourself from the inside, opportunities are attracted to you. You don't chase them.

Warrior DCs understand that not everyone sees this way of life as being fun. In fact, many non‑warrior DCs actually make fun of this way of creating opportunity. Most have been led to believe that success is outside of them, and, because of this, spend their entire lives chasing that mythical white horse off into the sunset.

The problem is, the low quality patients attracted with gimmicks and promotions will be gone in a few weeks due to the lack of office procedures, patient education, and mindset of success in your practice. As you replace these departed patients, you further validate the public's perception of chiropractors being short‑term back crackers. Unfortunately, the typical "leaky bucket" practice is so prevalent in our profession today, there has to be a better way.

Well, there is. Yet, you won't get there without first getting out of your own way. By not creating your own opportunities on a continual basis, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of procrastination. By not continually improving yourself and your practice from the inside, you are opening the door to vulnerability, which manifests itself as desperation, let's make a deal ("Monty Hall chiropractic"), adjusting on the first visit, and a host of other self‑image killers.

Many DCs demand more of chiropractic without giving more. This is like wanting a better relationship with your spouse or children and giving less. Or, how about wanting a chiseled body and working out less?

Many DCs refuse to accept the fact that the prevalent public view of chiropractic continues to be short‑term back cracking. Wellness chiropractic is simply not accepted by the majority of people. Failure to accept this results in frustration and procrastination for the doctor.

Of course people can be repositioned, but if you want to establish yourself as a family DC, you have to have a complete package of office procedures, patient education, and the mindset of success. It's painful to watch many DCs attempt to live a socially unaccepted position without the warrior's tools.

Wellness chiropractors are not part of the group of "socially acceptable occupations" (MDs, lawyers, teachers, police officers, etc.) ‑‑ period. Think of being asked what your profession is... A lawyer ‑‑ that's exciting! A wellness DC ‑‑ oh, what's that? There's no place in people's mind for that concept. That's where your procedures and patient education come in. Without these tools, people just use you when there are no other options, and for a limited time only.

Take a look at dentists. Can you imagine them ever telling patients not to return? You're clear, you don't need any more dentistry. Come back when your teeth hurt. The benchmark of dentistry is patient visit average. Most people discontinue care with their dentists only because of a move or death.

So, the choice is yours. You can either continue your goose chase for outside "fixes" for your ailing practice, or you can create opportunities for yourself. Remember, successful DCs are constantly training and working to make themselves better. They stay the course and are not distracted by the latest marketing fad. Just like steroids to the athlete, when you don't create your own opportunity, you get short‑term solutions and long‑term problems every time.

(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 procedures and patient education for today's chiropractor who wants to implement the chiropractic mindset of success. 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. To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact The New Renaissance World Headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)