The real secret to building your dream practice
By Cassandra Shepard

Do you want to grow your practice? Most likely, yes. You may even have shelves filled with books, seminar materials and other bits and pieces all devoted to one subject — building your practice.

Your continued practice-building education is essential to your success. The problem arises, though, when the same diligence is not given or is overlooked in building and sustaining a strong, built-on-bedrock, foundation for your life.

You can gather all the tools, tips and, yes, even some marketing secrets, to help you grow your business. As difficult as it might be to acknowledge however, the simple fact remains: Until your life is in order, your practice’s continued growth will be stymied.

Just as a skyscraper needs a deeper foundation than a house, the core of your life — your personal foundation — needs to be rock solid if you wish to achieve more in your practice.

Rather than using “10 top marketing tips” or “6 super strategies” to building a successful practice, let’s focus instead on the real secret that determines your practice’s success: you.

If you want the activities that you’re already implementing really to take hold and grow your practice, dedicate some time and energy to five key areas that can and do affect your ultimate success: work, relationships, home and work environments, money, and personal well-being.

Perform an assessment of these five areas by asking yourself the questions in the sidebar, “A personal foundation self-assessment.”

As you ponder your answers to these provocative questions, understand that two common threads are woven into their wording that will help you move forward.

These experiences might deal with what you or someone else did, didn’t do, should have done, or did wrong. You will have more energy and confidence, and fewer problems, when you have a conversation or take action to bring closure to it. Seek counsel and support if you need help in clearing up the past. Your life is worth it.

• Thread #2: Zapping current annoyances. The things you tolerate and put up with in life are like holes in a cup. No matter how much you pour into the cup, much of it will be drained out. The same holds true with what you “put up with” in life: Those things drain your energy, resources, time, and money.

Consider the areas listed in the self-assessment and pick the top item that is most bothersome in each category. Then prioritize all of the top items to pick the one that is most important to you.

Make a weekly appointment to work on resolving that issue. When you have that item resolved, move onto the second most bothersome thing, and so on, until all you resolve all of them.

Taking action on these items is a powerful way to strengthen your foundation for success. You will find yourself struggling less and attracting more to your life and your practice. Your confidence will soar as you resolve what was previously unfinished. Plus, you’ll have more energy to devote to building your practice.

Keep in mind that this work takes time, so be gentle with yourself and in your expectations. This isn’t about racing towards big goals and projects. This is about clearing the debris from your path of success and setting the stage for a booked solid practice. When you are done, stand back and enjoy the view. And then watch your practice grow to a whole new level.

Cassandra Shepard, CPBA, CPVA, is president of Prosperity Solutions LLC, a coaching and consulting company dedicated to helping chiropractors book their practices solid through a holistic blend of marketing and personal development. She can be reached at 719-282-9355 or www.BookYourPracticeSolid.com.