Nell Smircina, MBA, DAOM, LAc, Dipl. OM
My last article [April issue] examined not only the journey of becoming licensed providers, but also how we got there. I dug into our “why,” our brand and our zone of genius. Understanding why we chose this career – and realizing it’s important to view this as a career choice and not only as a practice or as a way to help people – is a mindset.
Often I find this mindset shift gets a bit of pushback, as if by being “career focused,” we are less patient focused or less focused on good outcomes. I could not disagree more. Understanding this as a career choice allows us to have a vested interest. We are not selflessly or sacrificially working for others, but rather, there is intrinsic value in good outcomes for us, too.
Allowing ourselves to view this choice as a career also allows us to seek additional support and resources for those who have had prosperous careers and outcomes. We can look to best practices not only for a clinical protocol or technique, but also for a career.
There are five things any person I know who has been impactful (substitute any word that resonates with you here, such as successful, fulfilled, etc.) does on a regular basis or has in common (regardless of industry):
Reading / Continued Learning
I have never met someone I admire who says, “I’m not really a fan of reading.” This could also be continuing education, but the theme here is continued learning and learning from others. This does not mean doing exactly as others have done, but expanding our lens of experience.
I’ve tried to have structure around this (usually it’s one book a month), but I’ve also found that the more you do it, the more you do it. I’ve had months that it felt like a challenge to get through a book, but I’ve gotten through three books in the past month while finishing my MBA program because they were on subjects I was extremely interested in (the content felt meaningful and urgent).
Industry Involvement
Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been heavily involved in the industry for the past several years. I believe supporting national and state organizations, and understanding the complexities of our industry, are critical to our survival. Our vendors allow for our profession to stay supported, and this is true of many industries. Not everyone is going to sit on a board or committee, but understanding how the industry works and who important parties are to support the profession allows for a more holistic and comprehensive view of not only the present, but also the potential future.
Know the Numbers
I have not been shy about the impact money consciousness has had on me and my trajectory, or that it’s still a challenge for myself and our profession. But knowing your numbers of your practice, your personal finances, and your goals (good to make these quantitative) allows us to stay focused on progress. It allows us to track what is working – and in practice that means what is providing value. We need to be sure we are constantly providing value for ourselves and our patients or we can’t justify what we are doing on a regular basis.
Solid Inner Circle
Ever heard you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with? That used to be a scary thought for me – and I encourage you to look at it authentically, too. But anyone who is living their best life echoes this time and time again: stories about having to move on from some people, or learning to trust to bring others close. This doesn’t mean you need to run everything in life past the same five people; it just means you should be mindful of who your time goes to.
Embrace Growing Pains
This is the growth mindset talk! Thoughts lead to behaviors, which lead to actions, which lead to whatever you focus on. Our mindset about what is happening matters. One thing I’ve done which has dramatically shifted things for me is when things feel like a day I want to complain or feel down, I say its “growing pains.” This feels more manageable (and more exciting) because I know any challenge will lead to next level growth on the other side.
I encourage you all to pick one of these five and work on it for the next month. No need to try to do these all at once, but I’m sure there is one here that resonates with you more than the others. Start there.
