People put a high value on education—up to a point. You go to school all through your childhood, then—for physicians—complete undergraduate and medical degrees as well as a residency to be able to do what you do. However, many people stop actively seeking to learn, develop, and grow different areas of their lives and interests when they graduate and move into the workforce.
The most successful business people and medical professionals out there, however, never stop learning, and I don’t just mean continuing education or studying for boards. Self-improvement and personal growth are an important, and highly valuable, part of your career and life in general.
Is Personal Growth Really That Valuable?
When you have patients to see, a schedule to keep, charts to do, procedures to prepare for, and all the busy work of running a practice, investing in personal growth can seem like a waste of time or, at the very least, a luxury. It’s something you get to when you have tons of extra time and aren’t working so hard to keep your practice afloat.
What you see in the most successful people, however, is that they make time for their personal development and growth.
Personal growth is a process of both understanding yourself and pushing yourself to reach your highest potential. It means always asking yourself who you are becoming and how you plan to get there. It can involve working on new habits and hobbies, fostering new skills, and practicing new strategies to achieve your goals. While this development starts very personal, it radiates outward and touches every aspect of your life, including your practice and professional growth.
Self-Improvement in Your Practice and Your Life
Look at it this way. To have a successful practice, you need to be a great leader who communicates well with your staff. You also need patience (for your staff and the people you’re treating), good listening skills, and a sense of organization, just to name a few things. These skills don’t always come naturally to people, and even if they do, improving and developing those skills is still worth your while. What doesn’t come naturally you can still learn.
Wanting to help your staff work together more smoothly? Looking to implement new protocols? Trying to adopt better habits? Needing to be more organized around the office? Feeling like you’re not meeting your goals—in your practice or otherwise? Self-improvement and personal growth allow you to develop the skills and discipline to make all of that possible. Sometimes making successful changes in your practice requires making changes in yourself as well.
How to Get Started
Working on personal growth can mean a lot of things, from taking a class to reading a book. Looking to create a reading nook? Having a special place to curl up with a book may just be the motivation you need.
The place to start, however, is with your goals. Review your written-out goals and ask yourself the tough questions about whether or not you’re achieving them in every area of your life. Then determine what you need to do for yourself to get there.
Rem Jackson
Founder and CEO of Top Practices, LLC
Credit: Toppractices.com