Are you getting your daily helping of mental nutrition?

Do you want to learn a deceptively simple trick to growing your practice and maximizing your production? You need to stay inside your bubble.

I'm bet you're thinking, "What the heck is he talking about?" Let me explain.

Jay Geier is the president and founder of the Scheduling Institute.

The Two Economy System is based on the idea that there are two different "bubbles" -- the inner bubble and the outer bubble. The inner bubble is comprised of things that you can control, such as your mind, your fitness, your attitude, your office, your relationships, and so on. The outer bubble is made up of things you have no control over -- and these are the things that tend to really get under our skin. The stock market, politics, traffic, weather -- these are the frustrating elements in our lives that we feel helpless to control.

That's why to become the most successful person you can be you've got to learn to stay inside your bubble. What exactly does that mean? It means focusing on all the things that you can control and really pursuing your full potential in each of these areas. It also means that you have to stop spending time, energy, and effort worrying about all the things in the outer bubble, because there's absolutely nothing you can do to change them.

One great strategy to help you stay inside your bubble is to surround yourself with what I like to call "positive mental nutrition." Imagine if you went to a nutritionist to improve your physical health. They'd recommend regular, daily supplements rich in nutritious vitamins and minerals. Plenty of fruits and vegetables, lots of water, and no sugary, fatty junk foods. Your mind also requires regular, healthy supplements of positive mental nutrition.

Instead of reading the newspaper in the morning and learning about the world's latest political scandals and depressing criminal activity, give your brain something positive to focus on. For example, you could review your weekly goals while you eat your breakfast or read a thank you note from a grateful patient.

In the car, rather than listening to talk radio on the way to your office, try playing a practice building CD or leadership podcast that will motivate you and help you focus on implementing sound business strategies and becoming a better leader.

When you walk in the front door, don't let anyone -- that includes patients, neighbors, or your staff -- download their negative attitudes and complaints on you. Tune them out, change the subject, share something positive with them, and do whatever you have to do.

Changing up a few of your daily habits to incorporate positive mental nutrition is a relatively small change, but the results are significant. It's been scientifically proved that by focusing on the positive and surrounding yourself with positive people, you will become happier and more successful in life. If you make the decision to be more intentional about the things that you allow into your brain and the people you allow in your bubble, you'll immediately notice a change in your attitude -- and your results!

The truth is, your team wants to follow a leader with purpose, vision, and drive. By staying in your bubble and focusing on maximizing the things that you can control, you are setting yourself (and your team) up for success. You are becoming the leader that your practice needs.

Jay Geier is the president and founder of the Scheduling Institute.

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