How do you perceive a new year? Do you look at it as a time of reflection? Do you look at it as a time to close some doors and open others? Whatever your direct focus is, it’s a great time to look at why you do things. Do you look to change little changes and do you look at your professional growth? Did you see yourself grow professionally this year, or did you sit stagnant? 2022 brings such hope for us and our patients. Break down professional ways to grow that may also be positive for those around you and your patients.
How do you start
Don’t overextend yourself. Trying to do more than you are able to do can end in failure. Make sure to make achievable resolutions. Set yourself up for success by starting simply and growing more throughout the year. Think of your patients. Personal contact for many of them has been lacking over the last year. How can you change their day? It doesn’t have to be drastic. Make a point to do something extra every day.
1. Snail Mail. It’s a lost art. There is an entire generation that has lost contact with an envelope and a stamp, but it goes miles in showing someone you care by taking the time to send a simple personalized card. You could do this by writing a card to one patient a day, or maybe one patient in the morning and one patient in the afternoon. It’s personal, and it allows you to be creative.
2. Look at your day and pick the patient you’ve known the least amount of time and the longest amount of time. Make them feel special. Acknowledge their commitment to the practice and make them feel appreciated!
Learn Something New
Talk with your doctor and find out what direction the office is going in, in the new year. Is there a new technique or product that could benefit the practice and your patients? Resolve to attend a continuing education course which would expand your knowledge! Make your patients aware of your commitment to being on top of the newest information and how it can contribute to their care! You are not only investing in yourself, you are investing in the practice and investing in your patients. Take pride in that! Find out if any laws have changed that may alter your scope of practice. Are you aware of it and able to move forward with it, to benefit those around you?
Help your patients with New Year's resolutions too
You might also decide to help your patients with their resolutions too! Many of us make New Year's resolutions about our health, diet and habits. So do our patients. We can encourage children and adults in this area by giving them more information and a recommendation for an app-connected power brush, like the Colgate hum. The app coaches your patients on brushing and encourages good brushing habits, so it fits right in with healthy habit resolutions.
Spread the happiness!
Talk with your colleagues on how you work together to make each other feel appreciated each month. Look forward to something every month. It doesn’t have to be an official holiday. Make up your own office holidays that can celebrate your colleagues and can celebrate your patients. People tend to want to be around other people with positive attitudes. Life can be tough. Having people around you who are there to help you get up and continue is vital in moving forward. Find these people. Celebrating each other creates positive energy. Be proud of supporting each other and what that can mean, not only for today but for tomorrow! Takeaways
- Make achievable goals. You can grow!
- Grow professionally for you, it can also reflect in the type of care you provide to others.
- Grow as a team! Make short-term plans that can then have fluidity throughout the year.New Year Resolutions do not have to be all about you. Celebrate how the new year can bring growth in your professional and personal relationships and what that can mean for those around you.
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