November 2007

BE ‑‑ DO ‑‑ HAVE

by Dr. CJ Mertz

Last month, my clients met me in Kauai for a very special training. This land is one of the most beautiful places on earth ‑‑ a great environment for personal transformation. Fifty of the biggest, most successful practices in the world were also in attendance and shared the keys to their own success using the Team WLP model and this is what we learned:

BE‑coming a man or woman of faith means you hold a power bigger and greater than yourself ‑‑ not just for your own walk and not just for the health and healing of your patients, but for the growth and prosperity of your practice. Without positioning faith as #1, the only thing you will BE is unfulfilled. Being in my 20th year of coaching, I can say this has been the most consistent attribute of the most successful chiropractors I have ever trained.

BE‑coming a chiropractor means you have the potential to possess an amazing purpose for life and extraordinary skills with which to serve humanity. With a huge purpose and world‑class skills, you can keep your focus on extending, improving and saving lives. The successful chiropractor is capable of sustaining "simplicity." The principles of chiropractic are simple, yet profound. If you don't allow yourself to get caught up in petty things or caught off‑guard by unnecessary distractions, you can build an enormous practice by holding fast to the Big Idea.

BE‑coming a true servant means you put others first before yourself. Your moral character is sound and allows you to use good judgment in all situations. A servant must also possess an incredible work ethic; after all, there are so many people who need your help!

Talent is no substitute for skill. You can have a lot of potential, but without the servant's work ethic you will not develop the skills needed to become a world‑class chiropractor. Chiropractic college only earns you a license, not mastery. Champions know that practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect, which is only achieved with a solid work ethic. You should invest at least 30 minutes a day studying, training and developing your skills.

DO‑ing right things seems simple, right? If you don't have procedures that produce absolutely predictable results, then you're not doing the "right things." Most chiropractors I begin coaching are only doing right things about 50% of the time.

The next level brings you to doing right things right. This is where your strategy and skill converge. Using your BE‑attitudes, you learn to do things better. If your purpose stretches far enough, you advance eventually to doing right things as champions.

Have the courage to take the risks your plan calls you to act upon and you will help thousands of people. Courage is a daily habit, because risking must be a daily part of your plan. So, as you plan your work, include an element of stretch, and then work your plan.

Have the humility to accept instruction. Change is inevitable if growth is your pursuit. Humility gives you the strength to listen and the power to make the right changes. Year after year, the chiropractors who make the best changes yield the highest growth in practice. Improvement is almost always the best kind of change.

Have the determination to set and reach your goals. If you don't have a goal, where are you going? If you do have a goal, who is holding you accountable to make it happen? The right goals sharpen your focus and bring out the best in your performances.

When your BE ‑‑ DO ‑‑ HAVE reaches alignment, you will feel propelled to succeed. One without the other leaves a gap that ultimately leads to difficulty or frustration.

That's why building big, purpose‑driven, principled and prosperous practices happens only for the dedicated few. No matter what your stage of development in practice, you can do it. Sometimes, it doesn't matter where you start, rather that you start. You'll find the people on this mission are very willing to share with you and fellowship together. Don't hesitate to call me and let me know how I can be of service.

(Dr. CJ Mertz is the founder and head coach of the prestigious Waiting List Practice chiropractic training organization. See the WLP 300 patient per week opportunity on the back page of this issue. For more information on WLP coaching services, please call Bob at The Waiting List Practice at 877‑TEAM‑WLP).