Like many of us, I was gaining weight year after year. And of course, every couple of months or so I’d have plans to eat less and exercise more. I’ll just start making better choices; I’ll also bring food from home instead of eating out for lunch everyday; Oh, and I can also start walking in the evenings with the dog. These were all these things that I kept on telling myself and others.
Of course, you all know what happened. I never stuck to my imaginary goals. Why? Because I wasn’t intentional. I was expecting my lifestyle to change by chance.
After a few days, I’d go back to my normal lifestyle and forget all about drinking less Cokes and laying off the fries.
One day, I said enough is enough and I got intentional about my health. First thing I did was enroll in a boot camp sort of class. After a few weeks of paying to get my butt kicked from here to next week, I started to lay off the sweets, Coke and french fries.
After a few more weeks, my motivation started improving. I actually started adding another workout sessions during the week by walking our dog at a nearby park.
My wife and I started planning our meals for the week and with that plan in place we’d go to the grocery store with the intent of buying the menu we’d laid out.
Business is no different
In business, the same scenario applies. We say – we need to do better with revenue; we need to reduce our A/R; we should improve our coding – but shortly after, we abandon the “we should… we need to… we ought to…” and we go back to our mediocrity.
Here is the thing – very few business have the fortune of stumbling upon good fortune. Change isn’t going to happen on its own. Your A/R isn’t going to improve because you said in a meeting, “…we need to improve our A/R!”
For something to change, it requires energy, motivation, a plan, work, discipline and dedication. If you need to improve on something, be intentional about it. Focus like crazy, create a sense of purpose and don’t let up.
It is really the only way your medical practice (or your weight for that matter) is going to change for the better.
Now, tell me, what areas of your practice do you need to be intentional about?
(This blog was originally posted on Pediatric Inc)
Brandon Betancourt is a business director for a pediatric practice in Chicago. He is a speaker, consultant and blogger. You can follow him on Twitter @PediatricInc or visit his blog at PediatricInc.com
