A "Secret Tool" for You

Today I am sharing with you the one tool that you need which will grow your practice to seven figures in three days!  Okay, obviously that's a bit of hyperbole, but I DO have a special tool to recommend for you, and it's absolutely free. It can make you wealthy. It can bring you peace of mind. It can make sure that your business is healthy. It can make your life happy. The tool I want to talk about today is your brain and your gut. Do you realize that you already have the power to do all the things that you need to do and to achieve success?

Shiny Object Syndrome 

I was talking to some providers recently, and it's a common thing, not just for providers but for entrepreneurs, to get distracted by the shiny new tool or this little software widget here and think, "Maybe if I just sign up for this, some of my problems will go away...or I'll have more money... or more time..." It's hard to resist all these tools, especially because they're doing a good job marketing. But rest assured that you don't need all these fancy implements.

There's a huge myth that all of these people are putting out there that your work can be easy. What IS easy is getting suckered in and distracted by false promises. If you're doing work the right way, doing it in a professional manner, and building something that has a solid foundation, it's is hard work! It's monotonous, and often it's not fun to do. And so, the entrepreneurs' dilemma is that we get distracted by shiny object syndrome, or we think, "Man, there's got to be an easier way." While there are some ways to make things speed up and take less of your time, and you certainly don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you go to create something new, do not be fooled by gimmicks that promise you immediate results. For the most part, success in life or business is just doing the little things each day. You may not see the results of your work immediately; it may take weeks or months, but your efforts will compound on each other, and you WILL see the fruits of your labor in time.

Don't Be a Copy-Cat

Warning: there are incorrect ways to go about your work. For example, if you are out there just trying to either copy or imitate or mimic what others are doing, a few things can happen. One is, any results you achieve are not going to be authentic to you. While you can get things done and figure things out by copying another business, in the end it would not be how you would create it if you were to sit down and take the time to start it from scratch. You will not experience as much joy from this inauthentic business.

The second thing is that you might get discouraged because you are seeing their success and thinking you should achieve the same results, however, their success didn't come overnight. They spent months, years, and more building that business. You have not put the time and effort in, and you are copying their end result, not their beginning efforts. This will leave you discouraged, dejected, and perhaps even unmotivated to start that project at all.

The third thing that can happen when you are trying to emulate another business owner because they're successful and they're doing these great things, is that you will be disappointed because you're not at their level yet. Again, growing a business takes time. You cannot expect to jump to that level of success or expertise overnight (as some falsely promise). 

Time and Effort and More Time and More Effort

As Ron Swanson, a character on the TV show Parks and Recreation likes to say, "Never half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing." (Sorry for the little bit of French there but it's a direct quote from a show that was on in primetime network TV, so I think we're okay.) Ron makes a good point here. Do one thing really well and build a solid foundation.  Don't do a bunch of little things mediocrely. If you put forth the time and effort, success will come. It's not going to come tomorrow or even one week from now. It will take a little bit of time. Thankfully, the only tool that you need is your brain and your gut. This will lead you to do the right thing, to do it well, and to do it professionally.

Ron Swanson, Parks and Rec'

You Are Not Alone

You don't have to do every task on your own. For example, get a CPA, get a bookkeeper, talk to an attorney, talk to a business coach, etc. Seeking outside wisdom and expertise can help you do things the correct way and build your own strong foundation from the beginning. Surrounding yourself with some other experts will make you feel better, more confident, and ensure more professionalism in your business. Then, once your own foundation is built and things start to snowball or compound, you'll be ready for the challenge and be ready for even more growth.  Otherwise, without a strong foundation from the start, you're kind of all over the place, going rogue, and not acting like a professional, and you won't be ready once the flood of patients hits.

Just Be a Good Healer

Business strategies aside, if you are a good provider, this will lead to word of mouth and referrals and having lots of success. This basic element, and the reason you are here in the first place, can reduce any requirements for you to spend money on Facebook ads, building an email list, etc. Don't get me wrong-- these are good things, but you don't need them right away, and you may not need them ever, depending on what your goals are.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Again, trust your gut, and only build what you want to build; don't get discouraged by the successes of others. Figure out what it is you want to build, work hard at it, and understand it won't take a day. Eventually, success will come. And that'll be the best kind of success because it's something that you built for yourself. Have you heard the expression, "Don't build a house that you don't want to live in"?  Don't build your practice based on what you think the people in your area might want, or what you think the people in your area can afford. There are a couple of famous quotes around that. Most famously, Henry Ford said, "If I asked the people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." It's not necessarily about what people say they want, although that is important since you have to have customers or clients or patients, it's also as important to build what you are good at and what you enjoy doing, and don't be afraid to be innovative, implementing your own ideas and your own vision.

Before I wrap up my soapbox and take it with me, I want to share a quote about persistence, particularly when it's not looking like there are a lot of results, at least tangible results. It's called The Stonecutter's Creedo by Jacob Riis:

"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all the had gone before."

In this day and age, we want one blow to do the trick. But Riis reminds us that there is much work to do before we get our desired results. Likewise, a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln says, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening my axe," knowing that there's a ton of behind-the-scenes work that doesn't get noticed. You will not have tangible benefits right away. But once you get towards the end of all of that work, it will all pay off, and the six hours of work will make that last hour of results worth it and valuable.

Remember, there are some tools that you need, but you don't need many! Stay on course, work hard daily, trust your gut, and use your brain. 

You got this!