As I age and get a few more years in practice, I’m finding that there a things that you just have to let go and there are certain things that you can genuinely have a pulse on and control.  Life can be this way in general, I’m learning to step back on certain aspects and go full bore ahead on the things you can get ahead on.

A patient showing up late or scheduling at weird times is one of those weird quirks that is hard to control in order to run an office. We try to be as accommodating as possible but with small kids and a family life, there are times that I need to get out of the office for any number of things.  Working early and getting out of the office early is normally preferred.  Sure, there are days that are more flexible than others but when daycare calls about a sick kid, you have to respond.

Sickness and health is another obstacle. We are coming out of a COVID pandemic and it still circulates throughout the communities. If a flu bug or COVID hits the office, you don’t really have a good option.  Either you close the office, if you are unable to work or if it’s someone else in the office that is sick, well it looks like I’m a one man show from time to time. It’s not necessarily impossible to do, but there are some tasks that get put on the back burner for the day. Family illness and colleague illness also happens. Adapting and working with patients that are looking for a fix while their normal chiropractor is out with illness does happen and we try to accommodate those situations the best we can. Kids or parents do need you from time to time and flexibility is the key to operating the office how I see fit.

If a piece of equipment is broken and a part is on back order for a few weeks, there really isn’t a whole lot we can do to expedite that process. Spare tables and equipment is used from time to time but patience is the key. I don’t own a shipping company so, if a shipment gets lost and we can’t get a product in for a month as opposed to a week, we’ll all have to just live with that.

Continuing education is another obstacle that many people don’t understand.  As a healthcare professional we are required to obtain certain types of hours.  Is this a fun thing to do, not normally. It’s just something you have to do in my position.  This coming two year cycle I’m actually going to change it up a little bit and get out of the office a little more to obtain different types of continuing education, things that interest me and the practice a little more professionally than just what I can get by going to Omaha twice a year. Will this cost me and the office a little more than normal, sure, but I feel that I will grow personally and professionally if I get out of my comfort zone every once in a while.

I’m writing this piece more as a reminder for myself.  There are times when frustration sets in and you just want to get out of the office.  The mind is on other things and the clock doesn’t seem to move fast enough, I need to get into the mental mindset that work until your done and move on.  The business has been awesome and it has been growing the past few years but everyone that owns their own business will tell you that being a business owner is an awesome blessing and a terrible curse, because while you may own the business it also owns you. If I’m not in the office, it doesn’t bring in revenue.  Having a work life balance is tough when you own the practice but stepping back and putting everything in perspective is nice sometimes because it shows you where you were and how far everything has come all while leading a life that I can be proud of.