Do you sometimes feel that you are being slowed down, stifled, walls closing in on you, and your power is being drained from you bit by bit? Is that any way to live your life for the next 10 – 30 years? Isn’t there more to practising than that?
You bet there is! Muster up some “fight back” if you want more. If you are ambitious and would like to expand, then let’s look at how to live fast, live beautifully and live dangerously.
Prepare to Launch
Decide in what way do you want to expand. You need a direction, so read the following list and circle the ones you want (and add any others you think of):
- do you want to find a new location that is bigger?
- do you want more new patients?
- do you want to be more fully booked?
- do you want to get an associate or more staff?
- do you want to expand your time off?
- do you want multiple locations?
- do you want more take home pay?
- do you want all of the above?
Live Fast
There is a cool quote: You can’t get there if you don’t know where “there” is. Therefore, the secret to expansion is to first establish exactly what your goal is and where you are going. The more well-defined your goal is and the more streamlined you make the path to it, the faster you will get there. Once that is worked out, do not dawdle on the way. Now you can really put your energy into it and get those on the road running enthusiastically with you. Practice growth is not a solitary activity but an aligned group effort. Set ambitious deadlines to accomplish each step. Make sure everyone is doing their part. Set rewards for reaching the various milestones along the way.
Live Beautifully
“Work/life balance is the lack of opposition between work and other life roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal.” (Wikipedia)
While practising can be energizing and invigorating (if you make it be so), you probably have family, friendships and other activities outside of your practice and it is important to balance those well along with your business.
A well-run, efficient, expanding practice can afford you the time to take trips with the family and coach teams or whatever you love to do. You are multi-faceted and can reap pleasure from partaking in many different activities. It is a great “win” for many of our clients to be able to get the practice income and service to the point where they can take a substantial trip to somewhere they previously only dreamed of.
Live Dangerously
This is an interesting statement… it could also be worded, “Live adventurously.” The point is to push edges, dream big and go big. Do not sit on the sidelines of life making wishes that fall flat and never get accomplished. Taking risks and putting yourself “out there” is often thrilling and you will feel very alive. Challenging environments and causes can pull you forward into exciting futures. If you don’t risk anything, you won’t gain anything. As fellow Canadian, Wayne Gretzky, so famously quipped, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Your New Motto
Make it your new motto to Live Fast, Live Beautifully and Live Dangerously.
