Orthotown November 2023 - 49

It's human nature to use excuses to help
alleviate blame, guilt or shame (self-imposed
or perceived to be imposed by others). Over
time, though, all those daily excuses you make
become your reason for why life isn't shaping
up the way you want and why you're not getting
what you want out of your practice, your
team and your relationships. But what are the
real reasons?
Th e following are the excuses I hear most often
from practice owners, compared to the typical
facts of the situation.
The excuse: Don't have time
Th e facts: Like everyone else on the planet,
you have 24 hours in a day. How you spend
that time is a choice you make. Put an eff ective
time management system in place that keeps
you focused on high-priority tasks and activities
and prevents others from derailing your time and
attention.
The excuse: Too tired
Th e facts: Lack of energy stems from physical,
mental or emotional fatigue. Take greater control
by establishing routines that help generate energy
and motivation and renew enthusiasm in your
work and personal life-things like exercising,
eating a healthy diet, devoting time to recreation,
joining social clubs or business communities,
taking up spiritual reading and implementing a
more exciting vision for your practice. Unfortunately,
no one can take control for you.
The excuse: Can't afford it
Th e facts: You can't know that to be true if you
haven't yet determined how to aff ord something
or accurately analyzed the true cost and return
on investment. As the CEO of your business, you
must wear the fi nance hat at times. If fi nance
is not your strong suit, ask for help evaluating
payment plans and payback periods for things
proven to build private orthodontic businesses
so you can make an informed decision instead of
an uninformed excuse.
The excuse: Can't fi nd people; bad location or
demographic; too much competition
Th e facts: For decades, we've been working with
practices of every size and specialty, in every
type of small town and big city, in the best and
worst of economic times, and in every U.S. state
and abroad. Any independent practice can
succeed and grow profi tably when the business
owner is committed to learning what it takes
and following through on execution.
The excuse: Won't work for us; we're different
Th e facts: Th ere's no problem or challenge in
orthodontic practice management that hasn't
already been solved. You just haven't connected
with the right people and community of successful
colleagues who can prove that the challenges
in your practice and circumstances aren't unique.
The excuse: Not talented enough
Th e facts: Th e sports world is full of examples of
underdogs who outperform more talented teams
because they bring greater determination, perseverance
and heart. Small upstart businesses steal
market share from big competitors with allegedly
more talented, experienced executives because
the small business owner is more committed and
cares about their customers. Take steps to boost
your confi dence by studying the subject or skill
that scares you.
The excuse: From a poor or
unsuccessful background
Th e facts: Th e world is fi lled with success stories
of people who overcame their backgrounds,
upbringings and life's hard knocks. Instead of
allowing themselves to stagnate in the same
environment and be advised by people who
perpetuate the cycle of nonsuccess because
they don't know any better, determined people
NOVEMBER 2023 | 49 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
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Orthotown November 2023

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