I wrote this blog post on March 14, 2013. At the time, I reflected on what worked for myself in creating change. Despite having no experience coaching at the time, these are some of the principles I use today to help others create their own path and design their career on their terms. If you’ve followed my blog over the past 11 years, you’ve had a front row seat to witness my huge and daunting career change. “Huge and daunting…” Hmm. Today I read that and am intrigued by that description from 11 years ago. Indeed, that was exactly how...
We all know how much stress can compromise our success in any given task. Think about it. You’re so busy worrying about something, that you’re distracted and don’t even notice what’s going on around you. We’ve all felt it at some point. In the moment, stress management may not be an option, as we may not even notice we’re stressed until we’ve had a chance to step back and pause. How can we learn to work with our stress, as it is often our partner in the journey to success? This past weekend, I experienced firsthand how stress can detract...
I think you’ll agree that many dentists hold on to a difficult employee much longer than we need to. The problem with this is we waste far too much time and resources settling for mediocrity when managing dental staff. In the past I’ve held on to more than one employee out of fear, but now I know we don’t have to settle. We’ve all done that. We’ve all found excuses for why we should keep the wrong person around. The good news is we can learn how to do it better the next time around. How can we make the right...
Life loves to test us with different challenges, doesn’t it? It happens every day. Sometimes we roll with it and don’t even notice, and other times it really throws us for a loop. Recently I got caught up in one of life’s little tests. A few weeks ago, I was at a stop sign turning left. The driver behind me felt entitled to ram past me because he was turning right. There was not room, so he deliberately sideswiped the right rear of my car. Then, as he passed, he had the audacity to give me the stink-eye, as if...
I recently had very similar discussions with a current client and a prospective client. They both know they need to change something in their careers. One has a strong sense of what she’d like to do next, and the other just knows she doesn’t want to continue in her field anymore. What they share in common is a desire to change from within, as opposed to looking externally for the magic pill that will make all their challenges go away. They recognize that this is the key to making lasting and positive change. One expressed that she knew she could...
I’m shocked to announce that Nola has run out of wisdom to teach me. I know it’s surprising. I never thought a butt-sniffing, poo-eating creature as amazingly clever as she is, could ever run out of wisdom, but Nola is out of ideas. Luckily our walks together have led me to another source of wisdom… the podcast. After walking in silence every day for months, I’ll admit I kind of got tired of hearing my own thoughts over and over. I got bored with myself, so I decided to multi-task and learn something new during that hour. Of course I...
How do you feel about change? Do you love it, or do you fear it? I love change! You know why? Because without it, I’d still be that same person I was 6, 10, 15 years ago. I would still be stuck exactly where I was. Change is scary for all of us, but I can’t imagine my life without it. Over the past 5 years you’ve followed my career journey, and I’ve been so fortunate to follow yours. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed since we started sharing our stories in November of 2011, the month...
We all loved reading about my friend, Ritu’s story about her decision to sell her practice and take a break from clinical dentistry for a little while. It was great to hear from several of you who have also made your own changes and are inspiring others! I’ve asked Ritu to write one more post. In the first one, she shared her story to let you know why she chose to sell her practice. Since she just wrote the amazing book, The Energy Shift: Increase Your Energy and Do More of What You Want Every Day, I asked her to...
One of the great perks about blogging about my dental career is that I have met some amazing people along the way. Not only are they inspiring, interesting people, but they are also people who have decided they want something different out of life. They are people who have decided to take risks to bring more joy into their lives. They are people who have decided not to settle for their existing conditions because it’s easier to stay put than to change. I’m thrilled that one of those amazing people is now my latest guest blogger! Her name is Ritu,...
With so many great holidays to celebrate this time of year, there is one holiday in the bunch that will forever be my favorite– my anniversary! It’s the anniversary of my farewell from a high intensity career in dentistry. It has been 4 years, and it is so hard to believe that so much time has already passed. It’s fitting that it all came to fruition around Thanksgiving, because gratitude is the one feeling that never wavers. I know I made the right decision, and I’m so thankful those days are behind me. What does waver, though, is my perception of...
