Living in the Pacific Northwest for the past few years has given me a new appreciation for trees, particularly big trees. My tenure in Southern California taught me about palms, ficus, citrus and avocado trees. Here, I am learning about alder, maple and fir trees.
My neighbor, who is particularly talented with his excavator, decided to remove one of these stumps from his yard. The project literally took weeks. It was like excavating a cement mixer with a full load buried 10 feet in the ground. He ultimately had to break up the stump to get the larger sections out.
I share this to remind us of a rule in nature (and construction) – the tallest trees require the deepest roots. I believe the same holds true for your career as a DC.
Developing stronger, more established roots is the result of your focus on the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic. You should set aside time each week to grow in these areas. How high your practice goes is ultimately dictated by the time and energy you spend becoming a better doctor.
Last year was a challenging one for our country and world in many ways. For many, it was tragic, while a few prospered greatly. But what made it interesting is how many people spent their time while restricted to their homes.
In our area, many of us used the time to enhance our yards. We did two season's worth of outdoor projects in one year. For others, it was a time to learn more about what they were interested in, but never had the time to pursue.
The above begs the question: What did you do in 2020 to deepen your chiropractic roots? If this feels like I'm putting you on the spot, it's because I am. Over the past year, each of us has been reminded how short and unpredictable life can be. The same holds true for your career as a chiropractor. You only have so much time to make it truly what you want it to be.
We are looking to 2021 to be better for all of us. But building a better year comes with better effort. Not putting in the effort and expecting more is wanting something for nothing.
Chiropractic earned the right to be viewed as an essential profession last year. Most DCs met the challenges head on with the additional effort required to effectively serve their community. From that standpoint, this year won't be any different. It will be the extra effort that will make 2021 a better year.
The new year is just beginning. What will you do to strengthen your chiropractic roots and allow your practice to grow taller?
Read more findings on my blog: http://blog.toyourhealth.com/ wrblog. You can also visit me on Facebook and Twitter (donpetersenjr, @donaldpetersen).
Click here for more information about Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher.