Dentaltown August 2015 - (Page 10)

howard speaks column Do You Need to Retire Your Views on Retirement? Planning for retirement is important-it's true. However, it's important to live for today too, and not get obsessed with the future. Balance. Plan for retirement, but enjoy today. Enjoy your career. This month's cover stories focus on retirement planning and debt management and they're full of valuable information for people at any stage of their career. The most important stage though, is the one you're in right now. I love every day as a dentist. That's why I still practice. If I didn't want to practice, I'd stop practicing. See, I don't do things I don't like to do for money. The minute it's not fun, I don't do it. For all of you out there who want to retire early, is there any chance you want to get out because you hate your job? Are you doing something you don't like to do for money? It seems that about half the dentists I talk with love going to work and the other half hate it and are burned out and fried and want to retire. Some of the people who want to retire become mired in the future and fantasize about it day after day, even though retirement may be decades off. If that's you, you've lost balance. Maybe it's time to make fewer decisions about what to do in retirement, and more decisions about how to make your job better so you're not obsessed with retirement. What can you fi x about your current situation? Lots of things! Let's say you hate doing endo. Well there are these people called endodontists. Refer out! Now let's say you don't like blood and guts and you don't want to place implants. Then don't place implants. There are many types of procedures in dentistry, which by Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, Publisher, Dentaltown Magazine 10 AUGUST 2015 // dentaltown.com means you have the choice to focus on the types you like. Concentrate on what you enjoy and get your attitude right. Then get your team right. Get to the point of camaraderie where your assistant fist bumps you when you get that wisdom tooth out because you're both in it together and because this is such a great day and you both just rocked that procedure. Live in the moment. When you're in retirement, live in those retirement moments. Be present where you are. Do what you like with the people you like. When I'm driving to work, I'm happy because I can't wait to see Jan and Christine and Robert and Yoni and Zach. I just love working with our entire team. Is there someone on your team you can't stand to see, who is dragging you down and dragging your business down and running off other team members? Maybe he or she is part of why you're dreaming about retirement all the time. Talk to them. Maybe they have legitimate gripes that are making them exude negative energy. Are the concerns valid? Should you address them? Would addressing those concerns make things better? Then address those concerns. If that employee is better to be around afterward, you have a happier employee, you improved parts of your business, and you're happier because you're not around negativity. But, if that person is just plain negative or, if there are core traits to this person that you can't change, get rid of them! Smart operators don't stand for people who drag the business down or who push others out. I'm not Dr. Phil; I wasn't born to figure out why someone is miserable no matter what. It's my job to get rid of problems when I see them, and if someone becomes a problem and makes you hate coming to work, that employee may have become a problem to get rid of. Improve your team and retirement might not pop into your head as often. Continued on p. 12 http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown August 2015

On Dentaltown.com
HOWARD SPEAKS: Do You Need to Retire Your Views on Retirement?
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY: Product Perfection is Not Guaranteed
Continuing Education Update
The Chasolen Effect
Poll
5 Strategies for Maximizing New-Patient Referrals
Pediatric Dentistry, Parents, and Spoiled Kids
Finding the Hidden Treasure: Prevention = Treatment + Motivation + Compliance
The Three Dimensions of Endodontic CBCT: Treatment Planning, Patient Understanding and Referral Relationships
Implant Drivers and Driver Tips for Single-Torque Wrenches
Are the Top 1 Percent Safe?
Debt-Repayment Basics for Dentists
A Creative Approach to Retirement Funding
Diode Use in Orthodontic-Related Procedures
Thin Implants
Stick With It: A Systematic Approach for Bonding CAD/CAM Restorations
Product Profile: Uncomplicate Business
Establishing an Accounts Receivable System
Yoga for Dentists
Practice Solutions: Ivoclar Vivadent
Ad Index
Why Dentists Need to Be Mobile-Ready
Rehabilitation Case with CAD/CAM Design and Excellent Results
Industry News
Product Profi le: LocalMed
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown August 2015