Uh oh … here I go again on the subject of success. It seems everyone I meet wants success, happiness, fulfillment. The really funny thing is that it means something different to each person! Some practitioners would be happy if they had a fairly full schedule, others want to be solidly booked out 3-4 weeks into the future, and others pray for cancellations so they can “relax” or go home early.
Here’s the question: Is there a formula or system to achieve success?
Is it reaching a goal?
Many people formulate goals and feel that they will only achieve true happiness or feel successful WHEN they have reached said goals. Some examples that are common:
- I want my practice to be fully booked
- I want perfect staff
- I want to retire at age 55 (just sayin’)
- I want to travel a lot
- I want a house
- I want a bigger house than that even
- I want a certain kind of patients or clients that I love to treat
- I want more time with my family
- I want less stress
- I want the perfect marketing plan for new patients.
Those are all valid goals or dreams that can be made to come true. However, is it really true that you can’t be truly happy UNTIL you have achieved them? And will you remain happy once you have reached the goal? The answer is “no.”
Goals and happiness
The true secret to realizing success and happiness is that they can be experienced at every step of the climb toward your goals if you set up a proper plan with all the steps that must be taken to get where you are going. Within the big goal, a plan needs to be written out and each step to attain the overall goal should be set up as a target with exact deadlines for reaching them. These targets are “way stations” of happiness that, by achieving them, keep you winning and looking forward to the next one until you finally reach the biggie and it’s all over.
And then what?
Aha, but once you achieve “the big goal” do you then stop and rest there for the remaining years of your career or life? NOOOOOO! The final burst of happiness you felt on getting there will soon pale. When you achieve your dream, you must create or dream up another one. It is the constant working towards these goals and achieving smaller steps that can give you the most happiness and the feeling of success. The final “we did it!!!” should immediately be followed with looking into the future and setting up a whole new goal that you now plan out and work towards. Achieving a practice goal is not like reaching “a nirvana” but rather, it should be viewed as a huge win and then roll up to the next level.
You and your practice will always be a “work in progress” and it is the working toward success and making progress towards your goals that can give you the most happiness.
