The End of Mediocrity & the Beginning of Commitment
There’s always that one student at Chiropractic College, the kind that makes you think, ugh, some people just have it all. You know, the one who’s athletic, attractive, polite, energetic, funny, and loved Chiropractic. You’ve lost touch with them, but there’s a little voice in the back of your head that whispers, what ever happened to them?
This is what happened to them and they never saw it coming!
When you find out they’re not only not hitting it out of the park, but their achievement levels are nowhere near where they should be, you’re stunned! What happened in between graduation and the few years they’ve been in practice?!
C’mon! you think. This DC2B could adjust, they were caring and enthusiastic, they got good grades, and passed their boards the first time around. They had it made! But something was missing when they ventured out on their own. Some knew they would not be able to open their own practices and others went through all the time, effort and expense of opening and got spanked! Not because they weren’t great DCs, but because they didn’t have the business acumen, they didn’t have the complete system in place, and they didn’t have anyone in their corner to hold them accountable.
In all of us, there’s an undeniable, rugged individual trait that insists on doing things their way. Some might call it stubbornness. One of my daughter’s first real sentences was “helpie self”. I get that, but when it comes to Chiropractic practices, attempting to do things that are inefficient at best will cost you time, energy, money, and ultimately drains your spirit.
Conversely, if a DC like this applies themselves in all the right ways, they can easily double, triple, or quadruple their practice.
Do you see this same commitment in yourself?
“I went from seeing 15 patients per week to the last 3 weeks I have seen 39, 35, and 39 patient visits per week. This is exponential growth. Before, I was not making it, thinking I may have to shut my doors, giving up on something I knew I was born to do as I could not financially continue. Now, money seems to flow in. The most important part – my patients are getting better than they EVER did when I spent so much time on each one of them.” – Dr. Lisa Graham
I see so many incredible DCs that have everything they need to hit it out of the park, but the more isolated they get, the less growth they see. They cling to their way and will not join a community of like-minded DCs, and, as a result, they lose out on fun, family, and PROFIT! They insist on going it alone. There comes a certain point in all of our lives when we are ready for the help that shows us how to share our gifts with the world.
Being in practice for over 3 decades, it was so frustrating attempting to help practice members who needed help, but didn’t want help. It’s funny, I hear the same excuses from DCs that DCs hear in practice (can’t afford it, I’ll have to ask my spouse, does insurance cover it?). This lack of action cripples so many! When you invest in your own growth, these excuses from your practice members magically disappear. There are a growing number of fiery, ambitious DCs who love Chiropractic and want to have practices that reflect this commitment. Every great athlete has a coach…why not a DC?
In Dr. Guy Riekeman’s book Make Your Life Extraordinary, he has a whole chapter on commitment. He talks about the danger of living apathetically, and the fact that if you’re ever going to live your life at 100%, it’s necessary to go the extra mile, even when no one else will. If you’re ready to live at 100%, so am I.
