February 2007

The 'I was gonna' syndrome

by Dr. Timothy Gay

What gives us the edge over others is learning from their mistakes or habits that have contributed to our lives. Having had the opportunity of growing up with three older brothers, the "I was gonna" syndrome came out on several occasions. Various chores that were supposed to be taken care of but that did not get done fell mysteriously under the excuse "I was gonna do it." My brothers, bless their hearts, had the syndrome down to an art and science, and periodically I still hear it today.

From the fondest childhood memories of your past, you may have picked up good and bad qualities that have affected your practice and personal effectiveness today. Think about it.

Consider, for example, how you confront issues. Do you have a tendency to "over think" things? How are you at finishing projects? What about implementing a marketing idea, training new staff members, buying a new piece of equipment or doing a simple remodeling job?

Then, there are the matters of cleaning up clutter, getting paperwork and chart notes completed, doing reports, and ‑‑ actually most important of all ‑‑ taking care of patients. Do you lack a purpose? Have you got a mission statement? Are you spending too much time on ebay, coming to the office late, or leaving the office early? And so on and so on. No doubt, you could add more to the list.

This year, work on the 12 most important things you want to improve in your office and your life. Don't waste any time on what you don't want. Instead, accentuate the positive and focus only on what you wish to improve. We all have many traits that are always a work in progress.

For instance, your "to‑do" list might embrace such things as: making sure everything is done at the end of the day; making staff members accountable for their duties; having practice improvement plans and adhering to them; staying off the computer unless it's absolutely necessary; complimenting the people that you work with; having a mission and purpose statement that defines you and your practice, just to name a few. Once again, the list goes on.

It's not just about the "I was gonna" syndrome but breaking the habits that continue to hold you back. Looking at your family heritage, your family gave you far more good qualities, traits and habits than bad. Somehow, the bad habits ‑‑ such as the "I was gonna" syndrome ‑‑ stick out because they're the ones you most want to change and strengthen.

If this is one of the phrases you use for an excuse to underachieve, it's time to change it from "I was gonna" to "I am going to." By just putting a general statement out in the universe, you don't make an affirmation to achieve or create anything unless you start your sentence out with "I am going to."

Some of the most valuable gifts and lessons come from what we've learned from others. Families teach us not to be scared of hard work and if you want something, you have to work for it. They show us how to value money and, most important, relationships, including the importance of "please" and "thank‑you" and the difference using good manners makes. We were taught early‑on that honesty is the best policy and it's far better to give than receive. Some of this may sound a little outdated or hokey, but quite frankly, it's just good common sense that will help you not only in practice building, but to develop a strong foundation for the rest of your life, in or out of practice.

The most precious asset we have is our background...where we came from. Our families are the extension of our past and our future ‑‑ the way we act, perceive, give, take and otherwise, are the reflection of where we were, where we are, and where we are going. This pertains to us as a profession. We are where we are because of who we are. When we stay together and agree on what's best for all of us, the profession or our family will prosper.

Division is not an option. Just like a family in discussion, we may have differing opinions, but we're still family and each of us has to participate in what is best for all of us as a family.

So, if you still think we have things to do to improve our profession and make a difference in this world, please don't look back and wish it was different because you were caught by the "I was gonna" syndrome.

(Timothy J. Gay, DC, a 1977 Palmer College graduate, is the founder of Ultimate Practice Systems, a chiropractic management and consulting company specializing in personalized chiropractic consulting [on the web at www.ultimatepracticesystems.com]. He is a highly respected and nationally recognized speaker, and author of several books, as well as numerous CD and video products for the chiropractic profession. Dr. Gay holds seminars around the country on a variety of topics and may be reached by calling 1‑866‑797‑8366, or via e‑mail at timothygaydc@ultimatepractice.com.)