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June 2, 2010
Are Your Habits Leading you Down the Wrong Path?
It is said that we are the sum total of our habits. How you get out of bed, how you shower, how you dress, how you walk, sit, and talk, how you respond to the world, how you act in front of patients and team members, even how you think; you're living out your habits.
Habits are necessary in that they free up your mind so you can concentrate on how to survive day-to-day. Driving your car is a habit you don't have to think about and it allows you to be on the lookout for others who may not have gotten the habit of driving down. You don't have to think about how to walk so you can concentrate on where you're going do you? (OK, I admit it, sometimes I do have think when I walk and talk at the same time)
Unfortunately, habits also create self-destructive patterns which limit your success (look at Brittney Spears). To become and stay successful, you will need to end your bad habits and develop new ones...ones that are in line with the life you want to live. Your habits influence your outcomes!
What are the habits you have that are keeping you from achieving your goals? Most of you know the answer to this question but avoid doing anything about them. Here's another question...Do you know which habits you would like to develop? Really be honest with yourself here... Is your practice always running late? Do you re-schedule patient appointments to fit your changing schedule? Do you follow through on your commitments to your team? Do you start your day with a meaningful morning huddle?
How much would your practice improve if you could modify your bad habits and create good ones in their place? Would your life be different? Would the quality of care and service you provide patients increase? Would stress be eliminated and happiness improved? I bet it would!
So, my suggested action step for you is to write down some productive habits you could adopt and visualize in your life. Step two is to "act as if" you were living these new habits right now!
I'd like to help you get moving toward creating more successful habits. My "Treatment Plan" for you is to develop four new success habits each year, one for each quarter. Once you pick the new habit you're ready to adopt, you'll next want to create an action plan that will support that new habit.
Here are some ideas on action plans... You could write the action down on a card you keep with you and read several times a day. You could also enlist the help of an accountability partner who will call you on your "stuff." You could monitor your own progress daily and reach-out if you can't seem to initiate the change you want. There are a lot of things you could do...as long as you're committed to doing it!
Be specific about the steps that you're willing to take in order to drop an old habit and adopt a new one. Don't be vague about how you will change your habits. Spell it out for yourself so you can recognize situations that motivate you to act out your new habit.
Just developing four new habits a year will dramatically shift your life to be more in line with your vision. And the more in line it becomes, the easier the other habits are to replace.
Make the decision. Make the commitment. Then watch your new life unfold!
Continued Success to you and your Team!
Sincerely,
Art Deden
Vista Practice Management
www.vista-practice.com
If I can be of further service to you, your family, friends or business associates - please let me know. Most of our business comes from referrals; please tell others of our services... DONT KEEP US A SECRET.
