Time for change

Most of us make many changes in our lives. Some are voluntary; others are imposed.

In my own experience, I have found it easier to deal with — to accept — the changes that were made for me. For instance, when I was part of the fallout from a corporate downsizing, I had to accept the change in my life situation quickly and move on in order to survive.

I’m sure you have been confronted with involuntary changes and have also accepted them and moved on.

Surprisingly, it’s dealing with voluntary change — that is, change we initiate — that most of us find much more difficult. Personally, I tend to procrastinate, possibly complain, and secretly hope someone will make the decision to change for me.

But a lot can be said for voluntary change, because as long as it is done deliberately and not precipitously, results are almost always better than the results of changes imposed on us. Not only do we survive, we thrive.

Many people believe in the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But, if you want to manage a successful business, change is necessary. That doesn’t mean you have to make change for the sake of change. But it does mean you should be aware of trends and keep ahead of them, so change does not become something that happens to you. Change is something you should cause to happen.

That is essentially what Dr. Joseph Teff, who is featured in our Success Profile, has done throughout his career. He has kept a pulse on what was happening in his chiropractic market and changed to thrive.

His most recent change was to downsize from a multidoctor, rehabilitation- and insurance-based practice to a solo practice with a focus on nutrition and an aim at becoming cash-based. Dr. Teff told me, “High overhead and inadequate reimbursement [are] not what I foresee for a healthy, thriving practice. When I realized that, I started the transition.”

He saw a trend he didn’t like and made a decision to change — before change was thrust upon him.

Change is good. Especially when you initiate it.

Until next time,

Linda Segall, Editor-in-Chief