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Before you can begin to think about your
practice, you should start by thinking about your life. What kind
of life do you want for yourself?
Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth
Revisited says that before you can set goals for your business,
you must set personal goals. Before you decide what kind of practice
you want, you must decide what kind of life you want. Before you
decide what your USP (unique selling proposition) will be, you must
decide who you are.
So how do you figure out who you are? How
do you set life goals? Goal-setting can be an exciting, yet frustrating
effort. In The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor
Hansen suggest writing down everything you can possibly imagine
that you want to accomplish in life. To begin this exercise, break
down your desires into categories: personal, social, financial,
physical, professional.
The best way to begin to find out what you
want for your life is to do an “envisioning” exercise:
1. Find a quiet spot and some time (an hour
or so) to devote to be alone and think. You will also need paper
and pen.
2. Begin by envisioning your life as it
will look on a specific day in the future — five years after
starting your practice is a good date.
3. Create a mental picture of this day,
from the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at
night. Include as much detail as possible, from the smell of breakfast
to the look of the kitchen.
4. Who is with you? What do they look like?
What does your home look like? Where is it? What kind of car do
you drive?
5. Don’t censor any details by saying,
“That’s too trivial,” or “That couldn’t
happen.”
6. Include in your day some plans for the
future. Imagine you are planning a trip, or a new home, or a move
to a new place.
When you’re done, make sure you have
captured all the details in writing. Review your vision of the future
often, to keep it fresh in your mind. Make changes and update your
vision as needed. When you come back to it after a period of time,
you’ll be surprised how much of what you envisioned has come
true.
When you have completed the exercise, you
can help solidify the images in your mind by making a poster, using
pictures of major elements. Put the poster somewhere you can see
it; it will re-invigorate your vision.
After a few months or so, change the photos
to refresh your vision. If you have a family, engage them in this
process. Ask your children to pick out photos of places they would
like to live.
Just one caution: It’s easy
to get caught up in things and possessions while doing this exercise,
but it’s not about what you have that will make a fulfilling
vision. For example, you might decide you want a Lexus or other
high ticket car. But spend some time thinking about whether you
want the car or the big house, or more time with your family. Big
cars and big houses also equal big mortgages.
For an excellent example of how setting
concrete goals can help you in your practice, read about Dr. Tami
Hartman in the December 2003 issue of Chiropractic Economics
(www.chiroeco.com/article/2003/issue15/success.php)
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