Are Your Thinking Patterns Hindering Your Dental Career?

 

If you are reading this, it is because you are a dentist looking to improve your clinical expertise and / or develop your dental practice.  

I firmly believe that your success is dependent on the developing the right habits, using them so they become second nature.

The way we think becomes habitual, you could be a half empty person or a glass half full or overflowing person, either way your thinking will be habitual.

If you want to improve and develop your career as a dentist or your dental practice as a business your habitual thinking patterns will need to evolve so that they enable, you to be the best version of yourself as a clinician and leader.

Today I would like to share with you an exercise that will enable you to progress. Development is more about taking small consistent steps than it is about making massive leaps.

Join us in the process of the positive focus challenge.

How Do Habits Impact Success?

In both clinical and dental practice, success or failure largely depends on our habits. Successful professionals excel due to their positive habits, while unsuccessful ones are often trapped in detrimental habits. To enhance our professional lives, we must focus on establishing and reinforcing productive habits.

What Are Your Daily Achievements?

A powerful habit that leads to success in various aspects of life is "The Positive Focus." This involves the daily practice of acknowledging five achievements or wins before retiring for the day, regardless of whether they are related to personal or business life. These wins are what is important to you, and they can be small e.g., sitting down to eat lunch, finishing on time, what ever they are, big or small, what is key is that they are important to you.

Why Do You Consider Them Achievements?

For each achievement identified, it's essential to reflect on why it's considered an achievement and its significance. This introspection helps recognise the value of accomplishments.

Where Can You Make Further Progress?

After identifying achievements, the next step is to pinpoint areas for further improvement in these successful areas. This exercise generates exciting and motivating ideas for the next day's activities.

What Specific Actions Lead to Progress?

The final step is to outline specific actions that will drive further progress in the identified areas of success. These actions will set the course for continuous improvement.

When will the action be taken?

Often, we lose momentum and fail to achieve our goals not through lack of enthusiasm, through lack of planning and time allocation. You won’t find the spare time to achieve your goals, you prioritise the time to achieve them.

How to Establish the Positive Focus Habit in 21 Days?

Use a paper journal or one on your phone over a 21-days answering each of these 5 questions  to establish and reinforce "The Positive Focus" habit. It's a proven method that takes three weeks to establish a new habit. You'll start experiencing the positive impact as you engage in the first day's exercise.

• What are your 5 significant wins today?
• Why is each of these wins significant?
• Where can you make further progress in each of these areas?
• What specific actions are needed to make further progress?
• When will you take these actions?

If you find the commitment of 21 days to large, that is ok, a a daily commitment will get you there too.

Remember to share your experiences and successes with me Jane@IODB.co.uk