There is a big difference between being productive, and just busy. I know many dentists who are extraordinarily productive, where they and their patients and their team get full value from each day without feeling particularly stressed. I know a lot more dentists who spend each day in a "war zone" of busyness – running all day and feeling like they are getting no further ahead.
It's not that those busy dentists don't want to get more from their time by doing less. They dream of seeing fewer patients and doing comprehensive care, but they find themselves trapped in a situation that creates its own urgency and demands constant attention.
They never seem to get around to getting organized and initiating change. Ironically, they claim they don't have time to learn to how to have more time.
Are you an optimally productive dentist? Ask yourself:
- Are clients being denied comprehensive dentistry because I'm too busy?
- Am I truly driven by clinical value and supported by an optimally effective schedule?
- Is the team working but lacking the momentum for real growth?
- Is my monthly production supporting the lifestyle I wish for my family and me?
- Am I taking time for true collaboration with specialists and laboratories?
- How confident am I in my clinical techniques in all this busyness?
- Am I just going from day to day without a plan?
- Am I able to slow down enough to create a really client-centered experience?
If the honest answers to these questions reveal a pattern of busyness without real forward movement, it's time to ask yourself some other questions – serious questions about the future you want, starting with: How badly do I want it? How much disturbance to my existing routine am I willing to put up with to achieve my goal?
That's ultimately what it takes to break the cycle of busyness: A willingness to reassess the way you are doing things; a genuine desire to embrace new possibilities; and a commitment to endure some disturbances along the way.