Here you are again… hangover just about gone… and you have to muster up the strength to walk into the office bright-eyed and bushy tailed…ugh!
Your team looks to you for the rah-rah speech of a lifetime, letting them know that this year will be our best year ever… yada yada yada.
Ready to vomit yet? Here are the 5 reasons why you should hate January 2nd:
1. You never set your goals
How many times do you have to be told to set your goals by October 1 of the previous year and review them daily so you can hit the ground running in the New Year? You chose not to embrace what works, so, you now find yourself in January and you are just beginning to think about what you want to accomplish? Well, better late than never. Remember, your goals must be written, with exact timeframes, action steps, and emotional links as to why the goal is so important to you. Get together with your team and decide what impact you’d like to make this year. It may be higher volume, higher profit, new services offered, new products offered, or even an office renovation. Regardless, set it and go get it.
2. Last year SUCKED
Are you really supposed to be psyched about repeating a dismal and mediocre year? When you look back, you may realize that you didn’t market well, you didn’t train your team well, you didn’t work on your weaknesses, you were re-active instead of pro-active and your results prove it. Ok, it stings a little… suck it up and dust yourself off. Turn the page. The past does NOT equal the future. You have every opportunity to make this your best year ever if you choose to work a little smarter than you did last year.
3. Resolutions are a joke
You set New Year’s Resolutions every year and you’re over them before super bowl Sunday. At least that’s been your pattern up 'til now. What are resolutions anyway? They are areas in your life that you’d like to put more intention into. Well, the world is full of great starters and lousy finishers. Do you know why most resolutions never get accomplished?
- They aren’t written
- The proper resources aren’t adopted to ensure their completion.
- You aren’t clear enough about your why. You are pretty sure you know what you want, but you’re not always sure why you want it. Make sure to answer WHY. If your resolutions match your core values, you’ll complete them. If they don’t fit your values, you’ll quit. So, make sure you can create those links. That’s the secret.
4. Fear of Failure
Every New Year seems to bring the smell of new possibilities, but that also means new potential risks that fail. There’s something in you that wants to stay safe. The challenge is, nothing ventured, nothing gained. You always have to take risks in order to succeed. If you stay in the comfort of what you already know, you’ll get the same results you are getting now. How do you reach new levels of skill in any arena, you try new things… you put yourself out there for rejection… you leap, and if you don’t land on your feet, you get up and do it again and again. Nobody likes failure, but whatever you fear the most, you attract the most. Embrace fear… then push through to new levels of success.
5. I have to work to be more successful
Last but not least, the biggest misconception rears its ugly head. No one ever said that success is easy, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to work MORE – you do have to work smarter, and sometimes harder than you are now in order to get better results. If you want more volume, prove it with your actions. If you want more income, prove it with your actions. If you want more new patients, prove it with your actions. Did I say you have to work more hours? Did I say you can’t ever have fun? Did I say you can’t be with your family? NO. There are people that have mastered every aspect of practice: the headspace, the systems, the marketing… find them. Listen to them. Do what they do. Don’t ask questions. Just follow the path of the giants who have forged the path. They are there to make your life easier. They are your mentors…your coaches… and they can help you get everything you want in life…if you are willing to get uncomfortable and work.