April 2009

Why do you go to work?

by Joe Borio, DC

It's early morning and you lie awake looking at the alarm clock deciding whether you're ready to hit the shower.

If you had any doubt about being prepared to start your day, once the startling cold spray of the shower hits you, you know there's no turning back. A light breakfast, coffee or maybe tea, and the drive to the office are your normal day in. You turn on the lights, some music and then sit at your desk and begin your day of paperwork, files, x-rays, and checking the schedule.

This is the way most of us begin our work day. Yet, it's at this moment, this pivotal passing of the hour that your purpose is defined. So, ask yourself why you go to work. Knowing the correct answer to this question can change your life, but more importantly the correct answer will change the lives of all you care for.

Too much of what you do gets lost in the day to day. You get frustrated and burned out or tired and sluggish. You start watching the clock hoping for the hours to pass quickly, only to forget what day it is while you're wishing for the weekend and at the same time complaining of the lack of patients and volume of your practice!

So why do you go to work? Why do you put your hands on a patient? Why do you put pressure on his or her spine? Why do you schedule an additional visit? Why do you take an x-ray? Some of you may have some different habits but, essentially we all start the day similarly. Why is it then some of us struggle to see anyone and pay the bills and others of us are amazed at the line waiting to be seen? The answer's in the "why."

Why do you go to work? I remember hearing from some of the greats like Reggie Gold, Jim Sigafoose, Guy Reikman, Ian Grossman, and so many other great chiropractors and teachers telling us the only thing right about the profession is the principle of chiropractic... about getting out of our own way... about telling the story. Some doctors take longer to figure it out and unfortunately some never do. They become lost souls like the WW II soldier lying in the mud of a trench holding a picture or a letter of his purpose for life or his inspiration to endure the battle.

This week, I was told that an old chiropractic college friend who struggled in practice for years closed his doors, quit his practice, lost hope of his dream. Can you imagine what he does now? He works in pharmaceutical sales. At first, for me, it was like knowing a traitor. Then as the dust settled, I thought of that soldier lying dead in the mud, stripped of his dreams, his hope, his passion. I know that when my friend dreamed while lying in bed at chiropractic school, his dreams were not about working for Pfizer or Merck. We spoke about practicing and being chiropractors and now he goes to work just to make a living with the unintended consequence of adding to the pharmaceutical death toll.

Why, when we went to the same college, got the same education and graduated together has he lost all hope while I see hundreds of people a day?

I can tell you now, your true purpose as a chiropractor will begin when you find the principle and the practice of chiropractic is worth living for.

Can you imagine the excitement and energy in the morning air when BJ Palmer awoke? Think of the responsibility of building the profession, dealing with the politics, going to jail, building a school, practicing, teaching, studying, experimenting, and lecturing, while being a father and a husband! You can be sure he knew why he went to work every day. BJ had a purpose and a responsibility bestowed upon him and I'm thankful, that with all the people to chose from, the universal intelligence selected him to be the developer of the profession.

If you want to have a large volume practice you must first learn to serve. You must get out of your own way and share the story of chiropractic. Tell people why you put your hands on them and why they need you to do this regularly throughout their lifetime. Explain to them why their children need to be adjusted. Tell them about the nervous system and interference. But remember the most important, most influential, most purposeful reason you go to work: adjust, adjust, adjust!

(Dr. Joe Borio is president of Chiropassion Consulting. For more information about the topics raised in this article and to learn about the company's services, call 866-441-7928, or e-mail drborio@cnymail.com. Visit the Chiropassion website at www.chiropassionconsulting.com .)