I have a serious question for you – maybe one of the most important questions ever, depending on how you answer it or what you think about it. The question sounds simple to answer, but oddly enough, it isn’t. Or at least, the correct answer to the question is unfortunately not that common.
The question: “What do you consider to be your most valuable thinking?” Now, of course, this could apply to many areas of life, but for the moment let’s consider that it has to do with your path (or career) as a chiropractor.
So, again “What do you consider to be your most valuable thinking?” Is it the time you spend thinking about the welfare of your patients? Is it the time you spend trying to make your clinic operate better, get more new patients, or make more money?
I often ask that question to chiropractic coaching clients and there is one response I never get…it is not the time you spend figuring out how to fix problems that pop up and putting out fires. But, think about how much time during the week you actually do spend on those activities. Patient treatment set aside, for most chiropractors, 90+% of the rest of the time is spent on those things.
Not that issues and fires shouldn’t be addressed, but the problem is they are stimulants that result in reactionary behavior and force you to spend your time on them immediately.
Now, on the other hand, think about those times where you felt you had a “flash of genius” about something that would further and improve your practice, career and life. Maybe you are driving a long distance alone and the idea comes to you. Or maybe you are just taking a walk in the park and it happens or maybe it occurs when you sleep, or when you meditate. Whatever the case, we all have these glimpses into our own creative genius, at least periodically.
A flash of genius is an instant epiphany that could change the course of a person’s future forever. Acting on some of those ideas may prove to be bad in the long run, but the genius is in the power or the leverage that one simple idea, plan, invention or thought can have on everything else that happens to you in life. As it pertains to your practice, your ‘genius’ idea may have something to do with a new marketing strategy or a new front office protocol or even a new business idea all together.
While you will likely agree that these idea flashes can be very powerful, the problem is that their frequency is often few and far between. For some it may be years between these insights.
Think of the last time you thought so deeply about something, or perhaps you weren’t thinking deeply at all but your mind was relaxed and open enough to seemingly spark an idea out of its subconscious. An idea that excited, invigorated and empowered you.
Make it Happen
Now, my question is, and the purpose of this article is to ask, why do most people only allow these awesome and powerful flashes of genius to occur sporadically and randomly? Why do they wait for them to come? And I am especially speaking to those chiropractors who are steeped in stress and run their businesses completely in a reactionary way since those people unfortunately tend to have these glimpses into potential greatness the least.
Perhaps their fear of risk, fear of the unknown, or fear of chasing their own dreams that have surely presented themselves previously through flashes of genius is just too strong. It is, after all, much easier to join the masses, complain about how tough everything is and continue to waste precious time on earth putting out fires.
They’re generally mired in the genius killer of reactionary management. By doing so they miss the big picture, which is NEVER the daily issues that bog us all down. It is easy to think you are being productive because “you are busy.” Some of the busiest people I know actually never get anything REAL done!
Busy work and reactionary management is a trickster and a liar that keeps you drowning in stress. To take control, lay down your own path and go the route that you are inspired though genius to go requires the ability to take action on the big things, not the little daily reactionary tasks.
It’s critical that you don’t waste your most valuable thinking and creative times solving problems that keep occurring to you. Living this way will never allow you to take control and steer the ship the direction that your genius tells you to go so that instead almost everything that happens in a day and in life will occur from you.
Those that learn to harness the power of the “flashes of genius” will be the ones who get the most enjoyment out of life. I believe they are the people that lead the most fulfilled and balanced lives. They are the ones that chase their dreams and eventually succeed beyond their wildest dreams.
A Flash Strategy
So, the logical question is how do we tap into and even harness the power of these glimpses of insight and genius?
Well, through my own contemplation of the topic I have been able to pay close attention to myself and through that I have discovered what triggers it. From there, I developed a system to trigger it. For everyone those triggers will be different but the main thing I have discovered is that it can be scheduled – at least somewhat!
The secret boils down to setting aside time, in one way or another, whether it be on your daily commute, or while on a treadmill, or while taking an evening walk, whenever you can put your mind at ease will work. But, you have to take control of your mind!
What happens when you don’t? Well we all know the answer to that. Your mind will wonder to whatever the issue or problems are at hand at that time. Having relationship issues?…your mind will go there. Have an insubordinate staff member who is causing drama in your office?…you will naturally dwell on that issue. Don’t let it drift! Jot these problems down and use that as the cue that tells your mind to let them go for now so that you can get back to tapping into your creative brain.
This is when you will come up with new business ideas, new directions for your clinic or your life. Open your mind, dream, contemplate, plan and take action! The more you first observe and notice your own flashes of genius the more you will learn to practice the positive use of them and eventually the daily use of them!
New layer…
