Grow Your Practice By Being A Sprinter Not A Marathoner

Learn How to Manage Your Dental Practice Like A Sprinter Instead of Exhausting Yourself Like A Marathoner.

 

Running a business is like running a race.

But the way you run that race can determine your results.

If we look at types of runners, there are 2 main categories:  the marathoner and the sprinter.  They are both doing the same thing.   Picking up one foot in front of the other until they reach the finish line.  But the way they run the race and the effect it has on their body is very different.

Most dentists run their practice like it is a marathon.  There are long blocks of time that are used to track progress with 5-year goals.  The practice never really ends because it is a continuous process with the next day pretty much looking like today.

In a real marathon, what does the runner look like?

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Marathoners tend to be thin, frail looking people.  When they end the race, many collapse because they have been running beyond their means and it is sheer willpower at the end.  Many need oxygen and fluids with long blocks of time to recover.  They can’t turn around and do another marathon immediately.

Is this really the best model to run a business?

Let’s look at the sprinter.  He is fit, muscular, toned.  When he finished a race he is smiling.  He uses his body is short burst to propel him around the track. He moves much faster than the marathon.  And he doesn’t need a lengthy recovery period to produce the same results over and over.

When you think about managing your practice, it’s important that you consider how you perceive your goals.  Are you running a marathon or a 100-yard dash?  Are you focusing mainly on the big, year-long picture, or are you able to break your processes down into a few smaller, more manageable pieces?

If you only see the long-term goals, the danger is, when it’s all said and done, you realize that what you were doing all year may not have been the most effective.  Think like a sprinter in a short-term race.  If you focus on shorter, more management chunks, you aren’t completely exhausted when you reach the finish line, and, you know in the interim, if what you are doing actually works.  This gives you the chance to evaluate your progress and make the necessary changes.

In this video, you’ll learn about:

  • Why it is necessary to think like a sprinter
  • How you can narrow your long-term goals into something more manageable
  • Practical ways to outline running your sprint

Please take a few minutes and watch the video above– do it for you and for your practice.

I wish you nothing but success,
Ginger