The first month of 2020 is already over and it was a great one in my practice. Business was fabulous, patient satisfaction was high and we exceeded our goals. But what does that really mean? In the youth of my business, an increase in revenue meant being able to pay off some debt or the ability to purchase new equipment or even being able to plan a vacation or to buy a new pair of shoes. And now, many years later, a goal that is met or exceeded has become just a number and sometimes, I wonder, “What’s the point?” I can eat and afford to keep the doors open and employ a large staff even if we don’t hit those goals, at least for a while anyway. So why should I spend the time watching the numbers so closely? What do they really mean to the business and to Me? I guess the answer to that question all depends on my Why. Have you spent any time lately thinking about why you do what you do? Do you look forward to going to work or do you dread Mondays?
I attended the Starkey Expo in January and it was an amazing meeting. Of course, Las Vegas is always fun but this experience was different. I listened to the inspirational speakers and their stories and one thing became very clear to me– Success isn’t about Chasing the Numbers, it’s about Living your Passion.
The outstanding speakers inspired me and I came back with a renewed sense of purpose for what I do and I began some soul searching for my Why. Being the competitive person I am, working has always been about achieving and accomplishing. Of course, I care about helping people hear better and doing the best job possible but what is my real passion? I have always believed that anything is possible and that people can live their dreams but sometimes I am so busy Chasing the Numbers that I forget my Why.
After some time for reflection and some internal exploration, I better understand my Why. Better hearing is essential to communication and as I get older and my time on this earth gets shorter, I understand that every conversation matters. My husband has a moderate hearing loss and every time he asks “What?” and I respond, “Oh, never mind” it puts a little space between us. Of course, he wears the best hearing aids available but we all know that hearing aids are just one part of the solution. He still has to listen twice as hard as anyone else and pay very close attention to be able to understand. When the noise in a restaurant causes him to be left out of a conversation and I see that blank look in his face, I long for even better technology and want to make certain his fitting is providing the best hearing possible.
Through this recent soul searching I have discovered that my Why is that I always want to provide the very best care I can to help patients hear as well as they can to live the best life they can. That passion is my Why.
So, what is your Why?