Seeing the Difference
There's a difference between people who are truly home-run success stories, those who succeed but never quite hit it out of the park, and those who—quite simply—fail. There are all sorts of theories out there about what that difference actually is. At Top Practices, we've seen what makes the difference for podiatrists. It's one part mindset, and one part taking action to achieve your goals.
The Difference in Mindset
Your mindset can have an enormous impact on the actions you actually take. This is because your mindset helps motivate and guide you. If you tend to have the mindset that there's nothing you can do to improve your success because there are forces affecting private podiatry practices outside your control, well—you're not going to do much, or anything, to improve. You will just stay the same at best.
That's why successful podiatrists (and successful business people in general), the real winners in the world, have a vision for what they want. They don't have vaguely worded goals or hypothetical desires that might be nice to achieve. They've boiled down their abstract visions and created clear mental pictures of the life they want to live and the practice they want to have.
The Difference in Your Actions
Of course, leaving everything to your vision of the future without taking action on it doesn't help you succeed. A goal without action is just a wish. To truly succeed, you need to have the right mindset, then actually begin taking steps to achieve your goals.
What does that look like? How does anyone achieve their goals? There are many approaches people take, but at the root of the most successful podiatry practices, we've noticed common actions they all take:
1. They set and write out their goals. Your goals are your vision, so they need to be written out in front of you.
2. They adopt a plan to achieve those goals. Amateurs wing it, while the professionals plan. You need a plan to act on your goals and start seeing the difference in your practice.
3. They take a “Slight Edge” approach to make tough goals possible. You can't keep up that burning desire to accomplish all your goals at once. Eventually, you're going to lose your mojo. Instead, every day you should do something to take one more small steps toward your goals.
4. They hire a team to handle the work. You can't do this alone, doctor. You need staff that you can trust and who can help you run your practice.
5. They get regular reports to see their progress. You'll never know if what you're doing is working unless you keep track of numbers and measurable metrics to see if they improve over time.
6. They commit to training and meetings. Your team can't help you if they don't have the right training or aren't up-to-speed on what you're doing. Commit to training and communication.
7. They block out their time. Doctor, your time is valuable. In order to get things done, some of your time is going to have to be blocked out and fiercely guarded.
8. They invest in important tools. Just like you need special tools to practice podiatry, you need tools to market effectively. Don't be cheap. Invest in your marketing tools properly!
9. They spend time with other Winners. Who you spend time with makes a world of difference. Spend your time with other winners, learning from them and being encouraged and challenged by them.
It is possible to transform your podiatry practice and not just succeed, but hit it out of the park. You can grow your practice, achieve your goals, and live the kind of life you want to live. Continuing to do the same old things without making changes, however, isn't going to help you. You will have to make some choices and invest in your practice if you want to see the difference.
This is where Top Practices can help. We've been working with incredible podiatrists for the last decade. We've seen the difference between those who succeed and those who do not—and we know you can learn everything you need to have a home-run practice. Contact Top Practices today for more information or to ask your question so you can get started.
