August 2008

Becoming a 'doer' …

How to get proactive in your practice and life

by Dr. Timothy J. Gay

As we often do while working, we think of things we should be doing to achieve what we have deemed necessary for meeting our goals and expectations. Yet, in many cases we erect invisible barriers to making those crucial decisions that will allow us to move forward. Truth be told, we frequently wait until we've made a mess of our practice or our lives.

Years ago, I learned a saying I've used throughout life to move things along and get past barriers that could keep me from doing what needs to be done to achieve my goals. The simple saying is, "Small problems require small solutions and large problems require large solutions." If this is true -- and by my own experience I know it is -- why do we let small problems fester into large problems before we look for the correct solutions? It's because sometimes the easiest thing to do is the hardest.

Here are some steps you can take that will bring you closer to "doing."

***  First, recognize there's a problem. Whether it's a personal problem, something that has happened out of your control, or a problem in the office, seeing it as a problem that needs to be addressed now is the necessary first step. Over-thinking and not doing anything about the problem is common. Consider the icon of intellectual activity, Rodin's "The Thinker." The beautiful bronze statue, sitting in Paris since 1902, has been duplicated both as a symbol and a satire.

***  Learn to communicate. Doctors with the highest communication skills seem to have the most successful practice and the ability to convey a message that people understand and are willing to embrace. Talking to concerned parties and finding an early path will help deflect any escalation of the problem.

***  Catch the problem early in the process. As a plant grows, it changes and morphs into something larger and in some cases very different from what it was originally. A lion cub at one point is small, unassuming and docile. But, after the cub reaches a certain point, instincts, size and variables change it to a 450-pound bundle of predatory carnivore. The old saying, "There is an elephant in the kitchen that no one is talking about" rings true. You don't want to permit the problem to continue to grow to unmanageable size due to inaction.

***  Create the strategy. Strategy is another way of saying get off the dime and start looking at ways to make changes. Change is the chasm between fear and the reality of doing. Fear is the overriding factor based on consequence of inaction and the pain that may come from the decision. Yet, with the inability to change, we sabotage ourselves. So, set and establish parameters and goals with realistic timelines.

***  Implement in increments. The reason behind fear is the anticipation of being overwhelmed. Looking at the 3,000 foot vertical rock formation of El Capitan and deciding to make the climb is a formative task that requires tremendous planning and prior training in incremental steps. Breaking the problem down into parts and putting action steps into place makes it easier to do. The most effective way to put things into perspective and get things done is to put them in writing. This will help you develop systems for implementing in increments.

***  Just decide. I have this sign in my personal office. Print one up and apply this simple principle. (Early decision, like early detection, is better than waiting and finding out it's too late and you had the opportunity to do something.) If you wait to hear everyone else's opinion and input about your decision, you'll find that most of them will lead you off of a proactive "do and implement path" onto a "sit and just think about it path."

How many times have you asked someone's opinion and at the end of the conversation you find that you've moved away from your original thought and were taken completely off track, moving you further from your initial goal?

***  Learn from your mistakes. Caution is important. Calculated risk and some level of organization and planning are important. But not ad nauseum. If you know you need to do it, plan the action and do it.

Let's say you were given an assignment by your coach or mentor for sure ways to increase your practice. Your coach said that if you simply did what he or she asked of you, followed his or her advice, made an immediate decision and follow-through instead of procrastinating, that at the end of the year you could earn an extra $200,000 would you do it? The answer lies within you. If your answer is "yes," then you are considered a doer. And, if your answer is "no," then as the story goes, the wait-and-see attitude produces nothing and you will continue to look at the horizon of futility waiting for the sun to rise.

If you want to be proactive, a doer, make that choice right now. Get active in chiropractic -- and start doing. It is without a doubt more of what this profession needs.

(Timothy J. Gay, DC, a 1977 Palmer College graduate, is the founder and director of Ultimate Practice [www.ultimatepractice.com] a chiropractic management and consulting company specializing in personalized chiropractic consulting. A highly respected and nationally recognized speaker, he is the 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 ultimatepractice@ultimatepractice.com.)