Do you know how to visualize success? It can be a powerful tool for helping you achieve your goals.
As DCs and healthcare professionals, we often find ourselves immersed in the daily hustle of patient care, administrative duties and continuous learning. Amidst this whirlwind, it’s easy to lose sight of our long-term goals and the vision we have for our practices.
This is where the concept of a “painted picture” comes into play, an idea brilliantly articulated by business coach Cameron Herold. Today, I want to explore how creating a painted picture can transform your chiropractic practice and help you achieve a perfect future. By learning how to visualize success, you will get closer to actually attaining the ideal practice you want.
What is a painted picture?
A painted picture is a vivid description of your chiropractic practice as you envision it at a specific point in the future. It’s not just a set of goals or a mission statement; it’s a detailed, sensory-rich narrative outlining every aspect of your ideal practice. This vision should be so clear that you can almost see, hear and feel it as if it were already a reality.
The power of visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool in both personal and professional development. Athletes use it to enhance their performance, and successful entrepreneurs use it to build and grow their businesses. By creating a painted picture for your chiropractic practice, you’re not only setting a clear direction but also aligning your team with a shared vision. This alignment is crucial for achieving collective goals and fostering a cohesive, motivated work environment.
Visualize success in your practice: Seven steps to creating your painted picture
- Set the time frame: Choose a specific time in the future — typically three to five years from now. This gives you enough time to achieve significant growth and change while keeping the vision within a realistic and actionable time frame.
- Describe every detail: Imagine walking through your practice on an ordinary day in this future. What does it look like? How does it feel? Describe the physical environment, the ambiance and the energy. Consider the decor, the cleanliness and the overall aesthetic.
- Define your team: Who are the people working with you? Describe their roles, attitudes and interactions. What kind of culture have you cultivated? Highlight the skills, values and dynamics that make your team exceptional.
- Envision your patients: Who are your patients? Describe their demographics, needs and experiences. What makes them choose your practice over others? Focus on the quality of care you provide and the relationships you build with your patients.
- Outline your services: What chiropractic services are you offering? How have they evolved? Consider innovations, technologies and treatments you have incorporated into your practice. Describe how these services contribute to patient health and wellness.
- Assess your financial health: What does your financial situation look like? Outline your revenue streams, profit margins and financial stability. Consider how you’ve achieved financial success and the impact it has on your ability to reinvest in your practice and community.
- Measure your community impact: How is your practice making a difference in the community? Describe your involvement in local events, partnerships and initiatives. Highlight the positive impact you’re having beyond the walls of your practice.
Bring your painted picture to life
Once you’ve created your painted picture, it’s essential to share it with your team and stakeholders. This shared vision becomes a roadmap for decision-making and goal-setting. It guides your strategic planning and helps you stay focused on what truly matters.
Regularly revisit and update your painted picture as your practice grows and evolves. Celebrate milestones and achievements that bring you closer to your vision. Remember, the painted picture is not a static document; it’s a living, breathing representation of your aspirations and dreams and is meant to be revisited, and even revised, regularly.
Final thoughts
To visualize success, create a painted picture for your chiropractic practice. This transformative exercise can propel you toward a fulfilling future. By vividly imagining and articulating every aspect of your ideal practice, you set a clear path for growth and excellence. Embrace this process, continually visualize success and watch as your vision becomes a reality, one step at a time.
Here’s to your painted picture and the perfect future it heralds for your chiropractic practice!
MARK SANNA, DC, ACRB LEVEL II, FICC, is the CEO of Breakthrough Coaching. He is a Board member of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a member of the Chiropractic Summit and a member of the Chiropractic Future Strategic Plan Leadership Committee. He is the author of Cracking the Code: Marketing Chiropractic—How Chiropractors Align Spines and Minds, available on Amazon.com. To learn more, visit mybreakthrough.com.