Change (not loose change) -- What's in it for you?

Sep 20, 2009

Editor's note: The Coaches Corner column appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

Change is inevitable, whether it's in your control or out of your control. The old adage "The only constant is change" is a truism we would be wise to embrace because it will make our life easier.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
— Wayne Dyer, Ph.D.

Lucky for us, there is change that is in our control, but implementing it is often a challenge: fear of the unknown, moving out of our comfort zone, financial concerns, etc.

As we are all creatures of habit, our tendency is usually to resist change and welcome routine. Change is an emotional process that takes courage, creativity, and vision. How you navigate it depends upon many factors unique to you. Sometimes the very thought of taking a new idea from its inception to fruition is so daunting that we become overwhelmed and so emotionally and psychologically paralyzed that we get stuck in our old rut. This could be very nonproductive.

Is your practice thriving? Are you? Are you happy with the status quo? Sameness or stagnation is the fast-track to mediocrity. If you feel that your practice -- or you yourself -- needs some revitalization, consider doing something different. Tuli Kupferberg said it best: "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

Some of us have a talent or gift for making things happen, plunging right in and taking the bull by the horns when faced with a challenge. Others of us have a hard time seeing the forest through the trees without feeling a sense of panic. For those of you who fit into the latter category, you may want to seek the help of a coach, particularly a dentist coach -- someone who understands, on a cellular level, what it is to be a dentist and all that our profession encompasses.

A coach can be your catalyst, a person to help you push forward your agenda, one step at a time; an outside ally to offer you perspective; a facilitator who will help you advance "the action" toward your goals.

The truth, of course, is that implementing change, with or without a life coach as your guide, will open up new worlds of possibilities for you.

Dan Kingsbury, D.D.S., life and dental coach, is a co-founder of the Dental Coaches Association, an organization of dentists who are professional coaches committed to bringing coaching to the dental profession. Learn more by visiting DentalCoachesAssociation.org.

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