Yes… it is the December 2016 newsletter from Painless Practice. Where has the year gone and what does 2017 have in store for us? And before hurtling into the New Year what are you celebrating about 2016?
From our own personal experience and having had the privilege of working with many many clients over the years, we have found that one crucial lesson to take on board in life and business is to REALLY acknowledge the fact that we always have a choice.
Yes, the game of life and business can deal some extremely challenging blows at times, and sometimes blows that at the time you don’t think you will be able to survive BUT we do survive. We may not be able to ‘fix’ the situation BUT we can control how we react to it and how we deal with it. What do you need to react to differently to get a better result?
The Painless Practice team attend their own CPD events including personal development seminars. Below are twelve of the gifts we have received from several of these seminars and ones we’d love to share with you to help you step out of your comfort zone and make 2017 the best year ever!
Gift # 1: Challenge your ‘I will never do list’
For those of you who have attended any of Celia’s workshops you’ll know she loves putting up a Rick Astley ‘I will never do’ list slide… luckily (?) for some of our readers that song will now not be ringing in your ear. The point… we all have pre-conceived ideas of what we ‘can’t’ do and will therefore never try to do. What opportunities might you be missing out on because something is sitting on your ‘I will never do’ list?
Gift #2: Live your life on purpose
Many people bumble through life by accident, living life as it happens rather than choosing how they want it to be. Living for a greater purpose is inspiring and fulfilling. We get up each day to help more and more practitioners enjoy their work and achieve their vision. Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
Gift #3: Take time to smell the roses
So many of our coaching conversations with clients are around the feeling of not having enough hours in the day and how life just feels chaotic. Life is too short to rush from one day to the next. Live in the moment. Stop and savour the times which become your cherished memories. Be more present. Impossible you might be thinking… we all have twenty-four hours in the day and there are plenty people who do take time to smell the roses. You can choose to be one of them.
Gift #4: Be kind
If only the entire world could act on these two rules for kindness:
- Rule number one: Be kind wherever possible
- Rule number two: It’s always possible to be kind
No matter how small an act of kindness, it never goes unnoticed. How can you be kinder to yourself and others?
Gift #5: Show gratitude
There is no one definition for success – we all define that differently. Along the pathway to success, it is very easy to be blinded by the road ahead and not stop to be grateful for what we have. And no matter what your circumstance there is always something to be grateful for and the more we express that the better we feel. When Celia’s husband died suddenly her sister called her each day and asked her what she had to be grateful for. Having a gratitude diary is a great way to start. Choose a time that works for you each day and write down three things you have to be grateful for.
Gift #6: Have rules
A few years ago Celia attended a talk by Dr John Briffa, a leading authority on the impact of nutrition and other lifestyle factors on health and illness. One of the key messages was that adults need rules. As a parent we set rules for our children for their own good, making sure we guide them in the best way possible. Bedtime, eating certain foods and not others, limiting time on electronic devices, encouraging fresh air and exercise. What rules do you need in place for you to be the best you?
Gift #7: Listen to understand
Communication is one of the most important skills we need to take us through life. Part of that involves listening. Start noticing how you listen. Are you really listening to understand or are you listening to respond, formulating your answer in your head whilst ‘listening’? What do you need to do to improve this vital skill.
Gift #8: Detach yourself from the outcome
We love helping our clients to set very clear goals and then supporting them in the journey to achieving them. One of the keys to success is to detach mentally from the outcome – in other words, put your energy into taking the steps rather than worrying about whether you’ll achieve the goal or not.
Gift #9: Outdo yourself
It’s important to know who your competition is and what they are up to but too much focus on your competitors may detract from your progress forward. Imagine if every day or every week you were just one percent better than the day or week before… where would you be by the end of 2017? What would make you one percent better today?
Gift #10: Be excited
Sometimes clients come to us because they feel like something is missing and they are going day to day with no real enthusiasm or passion. Most people for most of their life spend more hours at work than at home. Connecting with what really motivates you can make a massive difference to your productivity and results. How excited are you about what you do?
Gift #11: Celebrate your success
It so easy to go from one achievement to getting cracking on the next goal without acknowledging your progress. We find it amusing when we have conversations with clients and they might start with ‘I haven’t got as much done as I had hoped’ Once we’ve asked a few questions, our clients usually discover that they’ve made more progress than they had thought and given themselves credit for. What do you need to celebrate?
Gift #12: Take responsibility
We love Jim Collins’ (author of ‘Good to Great’) analogy: When things go right look out the window and when things go wrong look in the mirror. So when something is not going according to plan, before you ‘blame’ someone or something, think about what you could have done differently to get a different, more favourable result.
It’s time to bid farewell to your comfort zone! Which gifts will you accept and use to their full potential to make 2017 your best year yet? 2017 is a New Year and it can be a new you. You can coast through the year on auto-pilot or you can steer your ship in the direction you really want to go. The choice is yours!
Painless Practice News
The 2017 course calendar is brimming with a wide range of workshops designed to support you with the non-clinical management of your practice. The first quarter of the year has the following courses running:
- Youshoot: Easily promoting your clinic with online video
- Social Media Strategy: Connect with and convert patients confidently online
- Beyond Principals and Associates – an exploration of different ownership models
- Creating a business strategy for success London
- Creating a business strategy for Success Leeds
Success Club members have their meetings in their diaries for the year too. Members meet once a quarter for a full day to work on the practice rather than in it. We have a couple of spaces available in the various different groups. Currently, we have groups in London, Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, Christchurch and West Midlands. Get more info here: Success Clubs.
Painless Puns
The comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing much grows there
‘The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone’ Karen Salmansohn
‘When you go out of your comfort zone and it works there’s nothing more satisfying.’ Kristen Wiig
‘To the degree we’re not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.’ Peter McWilliams
‘Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end… because in the end, it shows you a whole new world!!’ Make an attempt’ Manoj Arora
Final Words
We are passionate about seeing every health practitioner enjoying their work and achieving their vision. Please do get in touch with us to find out how we can help you to make 2017 your BEST year ever!
Warmest regards
Celia Champion, James Butler and the Painless Team