 When I first started practicing, it seemed a bit easier to run until my gas ran out. Literally, I could get away with running on empty. I could work long hours and just keep going. That was my jam, doing so much I couldn't walk anymore. 🏃♀️ I had such a vision for what I wanted to create for my practice. I was set out on a mission to heal the world through chiropractic, and I would do anything and everything I needed to reach as many people as possible. Bring it on world, here I am! I've shown up, and I am ready to serve. 🙌 And then I became a mom, and it got a little bit tougher. It got a little bit harder to run on empty. In fact, even running on a quarter tank became a challenge. I think I learned in my mid-30s, when my boys were both under the age of three, that self-care was imperative if I was to run my practice successfully. Not only did I need to figure out the balance of self-care and giving care, but I also needed to start becoming proactive about taking care of myself. In my early 30s, going to the gym was more about fun and community than maintaining my energy levels. However, as I moved into my later 30s, it somehow switched. Working out, eating well, and taking my supplements were no longer optional. They were the necessities of everyday life if I was going to take care of my kids and my practice, be present for my husband, give great care, and have time left over for friendships and community connections. I had to take the time to move my body, take care of my body, and fuel my body correctly. It had really changed over the course of that decade; it went from really not thinking about self-care at all to self-care being an imperative piece of the puzzle.💪 These days, as I approach 50, I realize that self-care can take on many different forms. I get that self-care can look different. I get that my relationship to self-care will continue to change. These days, self-care looks like exercising every day. No exceptions to this. Every day, I move my body to the point of sweat. These days, self-care looks like proper hydration. These days, self-care looks like meal prepping, which I don't always do, but when I don't do it, I feel it, and the consequences aren't pretty - I don't like the way that I react. It seems that my fuse is just that much shorter. These days, self-care looks like getting adjusted at least once every couple of weeks. These days, self-care looks like journaling and reading and spending quality time with the people who matter most to me. 🥰 While I miss the days when self-care wasn't so imperative, I also really treasure these days too. I treasure that deep knowing that I have for how to care for myself so that I could care for others. It's crucial to recognize that finding a balance between taking care of oneself and others is essential for success. Check out our Facebook Group to learn more! It took me a while to learn this lesson, but it's one that has become increasingly important over time. Please see this week's live training to learn more about self-care and practice. 👇 
0 Comments
 We all get to a point when we are managing a team, and we see that it's not working. The shit officially hits the fan, and it doesn't smell good. It stinks up the office, your experience, your team's experience, and the practice members can even feel it, smell it, hear it, see it, etc. 😱 So, what do you do? Where do you start? Start where your feet are at. It's really important that you put your feet on the ground, take a deep breath, and figure out where you want to go from here. You've got to ask yourself the hard questions: What do you really want for your practice? Are the people who you're having a hard time managing, directing, or facilitating really the people who are suited to bring your practice to the next level? 🤔 If they are, then it's worth leaning into the following steps with them. If they're not, then sever the ties now and be fair and kind about the severing and give them the option to leave. If they are worth moving forward, then follow these steps to change patterns and turn things around:
By the time you implement these steps, you will have very clear daily, weekly, and monthly checklists for your team. You will be in full agreement that your team is on board. You will let go of the people who are not on board but have their hands in the cookie jar. 🙌 You will also have a clear vision with your team on where the practice is going. During this process, it will become abundantly clear who is on board, who is not on board, and what steps need to happen in order to move your practice forward in the ways that you know it deserves. Check out our Facebook Group for even more tips to creating the practice of your dreams! Managing, supporting, and facilitating growth and forward movement for your team can be a joy-filled journey. You just need to plan, stay consistent, and keep the vision of the practice front and center. 🥰 Watch the video below as I take you on a journey of creating a PIVOT for your team 👇🏼.   I definitely have a few practice members who think that my life is peachy. They make assumptions that I have the perfect family, that it's easy to stay healthy, or that being a wellness practitioner doesn't take hard work. At least, this is what I feel like they're assuming when they look at me and laugh when I tell them that I understand their pain. Some of them really do laugh. Most of them understand that I am also another Bozo on the bus trying to figure out this thing called life.🤡 There are some days when it takes everything I've got to show up at the office and give great care. I don't feel good, I'm tired, I didn't sleep well, my kid hates me, my jeans don't fit, I didn't have enough coffee. Whatever the reason is, those are the days when I have to find the extra fuel in my tank and put my stuff aside, independent of how I'm feeling in that moment, and Serve for the sake of service. It can be the hardest thing to do. 😨 As I engage in my daily activities, whether it's starting my day, starting a shift, or meeting with a patient that challenges me, I often find that the interaction takes on a life of its own. Regardless of how I may feel about it beforehand - whether I dread it, look forward to it, or feel neutral - the interaction has its own course and rhythm, beginning, middle, and end. To make this dance smoother, I make sure to prioritize my physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This includes eating well, making time for exercise, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, avoiding toxic people and excessive sugar, surrounding myself with supportive individuals, and taking the time to listen to constructive criticism while letting go of the rest. I also make sure to move my body for at least 10 minutes every hour I spend sitting at a computer. 💪 When I follow these habits consistently, even on days when I don't feel my best, serving my patients becomes easier. It's important to find a balance between taking a self-care day when needed and simply not being in the right state of mind to provide quality care. Negative emotions can be contagious, just as positive emotions can be. It's essential that I bring my best self to each interaction with my patients, setting aside my own issues and making space for their needs and experiences. I try with all my might, every day that I have to go to the office, to take my stuff, my story, and my challenges and put them on hold for the time that I have committed to serving my people. I reserve space for their stuff and their challenges and their stories. Every once in a while, I confuse the lines- it happens. 🥺 People will come into the office and ask me how I'm doing, and I will feel the tears well up. Even though I had no intention to show them, they will show themselves, and the hugs start. The exchange starts and it's not an exchange that I intended for, but it does happen from time to time. I find that the more I prepare on the days that I have the space to by taking care of body, mind, and spirit, the less those moments come while I'm at my office to serve because that's what I'm doing there. I'm there to serve. I'm not there to be listened to or taken care of. I'm there to listen and take care of. 💗 It's a healthy balance between letting your people get to know who you are and how beautiful your heart is, and giving them a blank slate to walk into to express and process whatever they need in that moment. Find the balance. It will take you and your practice members so far for so many years to come. Find more tips to help you find your balance in our Facebook Group Watch the video below to hear about the StaffLESS System from our amazing student of the month! 👇🏼  Click here to watch a replay of an interview with Dr. Shona - our student of the month.  For so many years, I dreaded going to the office because I knew that it would mean confrontation. I was managing people, and it just wasn't what I signed up to do. 😱 I had someone for billing, someone for new patients, someone to keep the office tidy, and someone to greet. I also had a personal assistant, but no matter how I mixed up my staff, my practice didn't grow beyond a certain point. With all the screenings, training, and time spent coaching, I was stuck, my practice was stuck, and it wasn't what I wanted. When push came to shove, I came up with a solution: I figured out how to run my practice without staff. 🤯It seemed like the skies opened and the earth shook, and I finally figured out how to enjoy my practice again. One of the first things I did was change my office layout to run an efficient practice without requiring anyone to greet patience when they walked in. (learn more in our FB Group, HERE) The front desk, gone! 💥 The waiting area, gone! 💥 The billing, finance area, and all other non-essential areas were gone. My office was small, and every square foot counted, so I needed to be a lot more efficient than they were. I got rid of all of this and then figured out how to work with what was left. I created practice member centers, essentially help-yourself areas for any administrative tasks. I streamlined the billing and scheduling processes for patients to help themselves. I've been doing this for a few years now, and I cannot say it is without oopsies. But, I can certainly say that my practice is now fun. It’s what I imagined it could be! I now look forward to going to my office. 😍 When I am there, I think to myself - this is the easy part. All I have to do is serve my patients. The rest takes care of itself because I've created the systems to make it so. 👀 So, take a look at what you've got going on. Is it working for you? Is it what you signed up for? If not, figure out what changes need to be made. Once you figure out the changes, implement them. Look at what you have left and how you can maximize every aspect of your practice experience. Take a listen to our share on Practice Space Do's and Don'ts👇🏼.  |
RSS Feed