Over the summer holidays practices tend to have some quiet periods giving practitioners the chance to catch up on either much needed rest or projects that have fallen behind in the day to day busyness of running a practice or indeed a combination of both. For some, summer might have whizzed by and you could be left feeling like you need an extra month! How can you create that Indian summer in your practice and how would you use the time?
Be on purpose with your time
We all have the same 86400 seconds each day, how effectively are you using yours? It’s easy to over-estimate how much one can do in a day but it’s equally easy to get to the end of the day and know one could have been smarter about how we used our time. Maybe it is as simple as getting up half an hour earlier and using the time for a specific purpose or being honest about time wasters, being disciplined and eliminating them.
What would you love to tick as done?
Take time to sit down and identify what projects you’d like to complete and the timeframe within which you’d like to do so. Think of each area of your practice (and your life if you like) and think about what you would like to be true about each area. What are the key things that need to be done? What are the first steps? If you’d like more structure to identify what you want in each area, grab a copy of our book, Seven Pillars of a Painless Practice which is a practical workbook with exercises to guide you through each area.
Take time to get your house in order
A practice can very easily become a ‘messy cupboard’ Imagine a clothes cupboard in total disarray and the need for rummaging through each day to find that top or trousers you wish to wear. The amount of time searching each day will quickly amount to the time it would take to sort it out. Not having clear systems, or a neat and orderly filing system (physical and online) wastes loads of time and gives the perception that there’s no time spare in the day. What do need to get in order? What’s taking up more of your 86400 seconds a day than it should?
Invest in yourself and your practice
I was speaking with a potential client this month and she admitted to only doing courses which would count towards her professionally required CPD hours. Her added criteria were that the courses should be ‘cheap and local’. I’m yet to see her becoming a client but do hope that our conversation was enlightening and helped her to re-assess how she views things and the results she therefore gets. What do you or your team need to get better at doing? What impact will that have on the success of your practice?
We hope that some of the ideas above have given you some food for thought and will help you to enjoy your work and achieve your vision. We have specialized in helping practitioners to have successful practices for over 10 years now. Do get in touch and find out how we can help you.