As an entrepreneur, you have a vision for where you want your dental practice to eventually be. You have a dream about what a view would look like “at the top.” You have a “perfect world” and an ambition to create it.
And, the truth is, all of us have a different view or, in other words, we all have a different summit we’re trying to mount. But it’s important to discern what’s worthwhile for us—or which “summit” we want to pour our blood, sweat, and tears into reaching.
First Things First: What’s Your Summit?
Take a minute to reflect on what your dream dental practice would look like. Would you be performing dental implants, scoring high-ticket patients, and working only three days a week? Or would you rather be working with kiddos, spending most of your weekdays drilling-and-filling, and running a family practice at the heart of a quaint town?
There are so many avenues to explore and so many ways to get where you want to be. But step one remains the same across the board: you need to distinguish which view you want to work toward.
As you’ve likely already noticed, we’re going to get a little poetic with this blog post and describe working toward this view from the top as “mounting your summit.” And we can’t mount any summit—or achieve our dream dental practice—without setting, measuring, and implementing goals.
Why Are Goals Important to Set?
Goals provide a map or a framework that’ll set you up for success. They provide mile markers along the hike up to your figurative mountaintop.
If you’re an actual hiker, you’re likely familiar with those marked trees or cairns that tell you which path you’re on. If you’re not familiar , these are basically polka dots on bark or stone sculptures on a trail that help you to stay on track. In the same sense as those marked trees or cairns, goals will guide you along your journey. They’ll tell you whether you’re on the path to reach your intended destination.
All sorts of hikers will walk up a mountain, but they’re not all going to stop at the same views and walk the same trails. Right now you may be lost, you may be learning a new area, or maybe it’s been your favorite spot to walk your dog for a long time. In the same vein, you might be a new dentist or someone looking to acquire a practice. While your path is going to be similar and you’ll stop to enjoy some views other people may have also enjoyed, your journey is always going to be different from somebody else’s. And what marks those differences all comes down to what goals you set.
Make a Big “Checklist,” Especially if Your Career Has a Ways to Go.
Some of us are further into our careers, and that means we have a smaller mountain to climb—we just don’t have the time on our hands (or feet, more accurately) to summit Mount Everest.
So, the younger you are, the more aggressive you can be with your goals. In other words, you’re blessed with some supple limbs. That means you have room for error, time to readjust once you inevitably make mistakes, and ample opportunities to redefine what the view from the top looks like to you.
No matter how large your mountain is, you ought to make a big list. And the bigger your list, the better. That’s because you’ll be narrowing down what’s realistic and what isn’t as time goes on but, at the start, it’s worth shooting for the stars. For the next six months, you’ll be making a direct effort to knock at least a few of these off of your list. You’ll learn what’s doable, what was a longshot, and so on.
Don’t forget that much of your checklist will go beyond the scope of work. Do you plan to retire by 65? Do you plan to have kids? Do you want to take plenty of vacations? The list goes on; just don’t hesitate to make your “checklist” into a looooong scroll of your needs and desires.
You’ve Made a Big “Checklist”—Now What?
First off, maintain the mentality that goals are a constant challenge; don’t look to the day you eliminate everything off your list. You’ll be miserable if so, obsessing about the end result, and you won’t be happier than you were before. You need to embrace a consistent challenge—that’s how you’ll grow! In other words, don’t let your ambition for the future take away from the life you’re living now.
That said, breaking your “hike” down through reverse-engineering is going to be your biggest asset. Instead of starting with Point A, start with Point Z. That’s because you need to be clear on your vision—your summit—before you start taking any action. Once you’re clear on your “checklist,” proactively measure your goals and implement good habits to ensure you’re on the right track.
Also, I urge you to take money out of the equation as much as you can. Many of us entrepreneurs like to put dollar signs on our goals, but it’s helpful to subtract money from the equation and instead pursue a lifestyle. The money will come, but happiness and satisfaction are the most important pieces of the puzzle. As a novelist, I like to think of my goals as pursuing the “narrative of my life” rather than a means of boosting my bottom line.
However, it’s important to take into account factors like opportunity cost vs. expected value. Money is an important component to your hike, no doubt about it. I just recommend that you prioritize your personal well-being over your financial well-being as much as you can.
Take a Hike!
The life of a dentist often consists of running around like a madman, madwoman, or—in this context—a mad hiker. When we set goals, we’re able to give our careers (and lives) a better sense of direction.
While we’re all trying to accomplish an idea that excites us and gives us a lifestyle we desire, none of us have the same idea for what that entails. So, what do you want your practice—and life—to look like down the road? It all starts with setting goals, implementing those goals, and proactively measuring your progress as you go.
I run a community full of dental professionals who can give you some nuggets of wisdom about working toward your summit. So, join the Nifty Thrifty Dentists Facebook group and reach out! People from all across the globe will be happy to let you in on their two cents and share what their views look like from the top.
