Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Right now I want you to write down your top 5 goals and/or future accomplishments. These are the things that you want to accomplish professionally. Write down anything that comes to mind. next, name three things that you do daily that is connected to your goal. You got it? When you finish keep reading.
Previously, many years ago you set a massive goal to become a dentist. You decided this when you took pre-med or pre-dental classes in undergraduate school. Once in dental school there were four more years of additional courses required to achieve your desired DDS/DMD status. And guess what: You did it! You have achieved your doctorate degree. This is your first major milestone and greatest achievement educationally. Congrats! But there is good and bad news associated with this achieved goal. Good news is that you have demonstrated that you can set a goal and reach it. Bad news is you need a new goal ASAP. And the best time to set another goal or target is right before you accomplish the one you are working on at the time. Yep that’s what I said! Setting another goal to replace the one you’re working on is how successful people stay successful. This strategy allows for a constant flow of energy to be dedicated towards your actions in a creative, productive manner.
Someone told me a long time ago these words of wisdom: “…the best time to look for a job is when you have a job already.”! This saying impacted me such that it has taught me to always be prepared, even when I feel or think everything is going right, always be ready for change, especially for change that is unexpected and unknown. Just be ready. Constantly sharpening your sword and being prepared for the battle and daily challenge called Life. The same goes for your goals and aspirations – always be ready for change in order to achieve them. Be ready to set some, and set some new ones. Stay fresh, stay ready, stay mindful of your goals. Yes they will change over a period of time, but you must have a set to start with, and then a new set after that. Be “change ready” regarding your goals. The goals you may set for yourself in year 1, 3, or 5 will look totally different once you achieve them and reflect back. But if you are setting new ones as you’re about to accomplish the one you’ve been working on you won’t have a lot of time to look back. The past is just that- the past. You can’t change what you didn’t do 3 months ago. You can only change what is in the present so you can strategically affect your tomorrow. Although reflecting on past achievements and every setback may remind you which actions were successful and what not to do, spending too much of your thoughts in the past takes time away for what needs to be done now. “ Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, But Today is a Gift that is why it is called the Present”. Spend less time “past-thinking” and more time “present- creating”.
So what are your goals for the first year after dental school? What do you want to be doing in 3 years? What is the ideal scene for you in year number 5? Everyone will have different goals and different “ideal scenes”. Remember, you are your own individual not the aggregation of your fellow classmates or colleagues. Thus, your ideal scene will be those things that you say they are. Don’t follow the pack and do just whatever everybody else is doing – that’s a goal leading to disaster not success. Dig deep within yourself to determine what’s important to you and where you want to be, to do, and to have. Stop reading now and simply think about it for a couple of minutes, then look at your goals that you written down and make any changes.
“DO now what you want to BE later”. This is one of my favorite quotes that I penned after listening to the advice from others. The things that you want to do now speak it into existence in the present time as if you have it already in your possession. For example, if you aspire to be an endodontist with two offices your affirmation to yourself may go something like this, “I am a board certified endodontist and graduate of NYU Endo specialty program. I have two Endo referral offices that are successful and are constantly expanding”. This is the power of positive affirmations. The ability to speak into existence what you want to occur for you. Doing this daily keeps your mind and actions in direct alignment with your self determined purpose, both personal or professional. Another strategy to make your affirmations come into existence is to write down what you want to achieve on a daily basis. Make it a daily habit. My acronym for HABIT is:
Having Actions (that) Bring (your) Innovations/Ideas Together. Your innovations or ideas are actually your goals, your targets; the things you want to accomplish. So by following the HABIT acronym those things will get done if you make it part of your daily schedule. So are your HABITS part of your daily schedule?, Do you make sure that your actions are in alignment with what you’re doing each and every day? This is how you achieve the wishes and desires of your heart.
Now that you have the strategy and you understand what needs to be done go make your H.A.B.I.T. healthy for your career!!! The New Dentist Coach says, “Just Do It!!
