Course Correction: Is Your Dental Practice On Track?

Shortly after taking off from Tampa en route to Atlanta last week, the pilot announced that air traffic control was rerouting us due to typical July stormy weather; we would be turning West towards Tallahassee and approaching Atlanta from the West rather than the East.

July is a good mid-year point for evaluating progress towards the goals and direction you set for 2014.

Are you still on course? Have there been some storms that required you to change direction?  Have you adjusted course in response to unanticipated bumps in the route?

When we set annual goals and objectives, we do so without a crystal ball.  Things happen that require course correction.  The goal however is to keep fixed on the final destination and adjust course as necessary without losing sight of the end point. Keep moving toward the final destination without getting totally blown off course when the going gets bumpy.

If you never got around to setting goals for 2014, it’s not too late.

Make a commitment to do so now.  Carve out time when you can focus, without interruption, and when your mind and body are fresh. If you try to do this important work after a long day or hectic week, the creative energy won’t be there.

Write your answers to the question, What do I want to accomplish, personally and professionally, before the end of 2014?  It is helpful to think in terms of what you would like to be different about yourself, your practice and your relationships.  Be as descriptive as possible, creating a picture with words, and don’t let limiting beliefs inhibit your picture.

Once you have a picture of what you would like to accomplish, take each bite size item and decide what specific actions need to be taken to get there, by whom and by when.  Again, if you write these things down, there is a stronger chance of achieving the desired result.

So keep your eye on the final destination, knowing there are always storms in the area.  Some are so minimal you don’t even notice them.  Others require a course correction, but the destination doesn’t change.