The mind is always wondering, what if we did this and what about that.  For the most part things have not changed that much from a treatment perspective around the office over the course of the past 12 years. Busy days, slow days and everything in-between are the norm at this point. You can make changes or you can stay the same but just know that either choice is going to be hard.

Running a small business is a grind: making payroll, broken equipment, building issues, general maintenance and just the everyday ups and downs of family and work life balance. In all honesty, I’ve never really had to work for anyone in my life, every once in a while, I float the idea of just closing up shop and going to get a day job, Kristina always tells me to just shut up because I’ve never had to answer to anyone in my life and don’t know what it’s like.

Working at a 9-5 sounds like a great idea and for most people in the world, that is how they make their income. 9-5’s are also hard. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, owning a business is a lot of risk that only the owner and family probably truly feel but working for the man is also a grind, a lot of the times it’s just that: a boring monotonous grind that most people do for the paycheck.

Paying student loans and business debt are tough. Everyone wants the instant satisfaction of seeing a $0 at the end, but it takes time. It’s hard to make a dent but if you really want to, you can make it happen. Just know that it’s a grind and the process is tough, hell it’s tough for anyone not just a late 30’s chiropractor that feels like he is making headway. I paid my student loans off roughly 5 years ago and it’s an awesome feeling. Seeing a $0 is a breath of fresh air.

Raising a family with a little bit of work life balance is tough. The guilt that arises when I close the office down in order to attend kids stuff is a little bittersweet. I’ve told myself that the benefit of being self-employed is that I can do what I want when I want and as my boys get older I will be missing more days in the office as they get more involved and into school but I do feel like I’m letting my patient down. I don’t run an emergency room so things for the most part can wait; if life or death things walk into the office we have a different problem on our hands.

Professional life is a little chaotic at times as well. Keeping up with continuing education, professional board meetings, insurance changes and fielding questions for other doctors are part of the daily/weekly routine. I come from the school of thought that if someone my age is not willing to step into these positions then who will. I can be stubborn and bullheaded; I have a vision in my mind how things should be but have to keep my mouth shut as most of the time in these settings, the my way or the highway is a terrible way to operate.

I feel like I’m reaching a stage in life where things start to get tough with time management, kids, work, running an office and trying to keep a little sanity. The thoughts that run through my mind on the slow days can be exhausting but at the end of the day I have to remind myself that this is my crazy and comparing yourself to others is worthless.

Working a 9-5 is tough, running a small business is hard, keeping up with a family is exhausting and having some semblance of sanity is few and far between but whatever direction you choose in life is hard, so just always remember: You Get to Choose Your Hard and try to embrace it along the way.