December 2005

Are you busier than you are successful?

by Dr. Ben Lerner

The simplest advice you can give to someone in need is, "How can you best use your time to meet this need?" If someone's looking for the right relationship, where can he or she spend the most time around the type of people they're looking for? If you're  experiencing financial problems, how can you spend the most time doing what makes you the most money? Do you need new patients? Then, how can you redirect your time so that it's focused on places and action steps with the highest potential for getting new patients? It's simple advice, but effective.

The irony of today is that we live in a world of massive information on dieting, nutrition, fitness, and self‑help emotional management, yet we're more overweight, have more nutritionally related illness, and are more anxious and depressed then ever before.

Did you ever wonder why with all of the millions of books, tapes, programs, etc. on physical and mental health being sold on television, the Internet, in bookstores, and malls that we're failing to be physically and mentally healthy more now than at any time in recorded history?

The answer is that our personal culture just doesn't support wellness. People are crazy busy, but what are they busy doing? Clearly it's not exercising, spending time with their family, praying, or really focusing on sharpening the necessary skills for success. When I see a poor, overweight, unhealthy, unhappy person talking on a cell phone I want to say, "Hey, who are you talking to? Unless it's the president, your pastor, or your personal trainer, hang up."

As a chiropractor, you face many of the same challenges. You're busy, but are you as successful as you are busy? Today's DC seems to lead a hectic life, but is he or she spending time on what matters most (6 "F's" ‑‑ faith, family, fitness, finance, fun, and future) and what matters most to a practice (skill sharpening, new‑skill development, staff training, obtaining new patients, and evaluating statistics/administration)?

Most people and many chiropractors are busier than they are successful. Your goal should be to be more successful than you are busy. Yet, accomplishing this is easier then it sounds. A formula for time mastery and success is set out in "Body by God: The Owner's Manual for Maximized Living" and "One Minute Wellness: The Health and Happiness System That Never Fails."

The idea is to look at the way you're spending your time and compartmentalize time in the day and/or week for what matters most. If every Tuesday and Thursday from 11am‑noon are marketing times, every Monday and Friday from 6:30‑  8:00 pm are times with one of your children (other children, spouse, or significant other get their own times), and every day at 5:30 am is time with God, the next thing you know is that your new patients, your relationship with a family member, and your spiritual life will be amazing. You'll be busy, but successful. Do a great job with this and you'll eventually be more successful then you are busy.

(Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman are the founders of Teaching the World about Chiropractic and authors of the first New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon best‑selling book on chiropractic: "One Minute Wellness: the Natural Health and Happiness System that Never Fails.")