Friday 28 January 2011

Goal setting - The habit of successful people.


In this series of blogs you have been looking at how to create goals that you can achieve.

We are now in the last week of January and for most people, they have forgotten what their new year’s resolution was.

Have you too given up on your resolutions?

If you have been unsuccessful in achieving your goals either personally or professionally, it is probably because the outcome that you are after has not been sufficiently well formed

So far we have been looking at how you can cement the chance of success by turning the spotlight on your goals by

  • Stating them in the positive
  • Making them sensory specific
  • Identifying what you need to start and maintain
  • Appropriate context
  • Maintaining positive by products of your current behaviour

Today I would like to explore with you the final step to blisteringly colourful goals, the ecology check.

When you ecology check your goals, you are asking your self is it worth it? The previous steps you have gathered a lot of detail, about the steps that you need to take to start and maintain your journey towards your goals. For some of your goals they will require a significant amount of time, money and effort. And now is the time to ask is it worth it.

Many clients come to me initially for a variety of reasons including, the finances in the practice are in a very bad way, the overdraft is growing, they can’t pay bills, their appointment book has gaps in it, there are fewer new patients and those that do come in are putting off treatment, I am sure that you are familiar with a similar set of problems in your practice.

Working with me I know I can help them turn around their practices, so they are profitable, well run surgeries providing great quality work to patients who appreciate what the dentists and their happy team do for them.

And the journey of transformation is a journey, the initial phase may take 12-24 months, they are going to have to look at areas of their practice and live that until now they have been ignoring, and there will be a monthly financial investment.

And the client has to answer the following questions to decide if they want to proceed.

  • Is this goal worth achieving?
  • Is achieving this goal worth the financial investment?
  • Is achieving this goal worth the time?
  • Is achieving this goal worth the effort?
  • Will achieving this goal honour your values?
  • Who will you be when you succeed?
  • Who will you be if you fail?
  • Is achieving this goal in line with your sense of self?
  • What are the consequences of not achieving your goal?

And for most practice owners I have met, the consequences of not setting a goal of transforming the practice is one they realise they can’t afford not to take, the alternative could be insolvency.

And I am sure that we all know of great dentists who have sold up or gone under because the principal did not think that that the time, money, or effort would be worth it.

So as you think about the state of your practice, and the goals you have set (or should set) for 2011, what will the consequence be of not achieving them?

Are your goals worth, the time, effort and money?

To summarize to form well formed goals that result in you making the changes you really want to make the 6 vital steps are;

  • Stating them in the positive
  • Making them sensory specific
  • Identifying what you need to start and maintain
  • Appropriate context
  • Maintaining positive by products of your current behaviour
  • Ecology check

If you have recognised that now is the time to face the problems in your practice and that you would like some knowledge, confidence and support in how to do it call me on 01296 770462 or e mail jane@healthyandwealthy.co.uk

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