Planning, goal setting, and to-do lists are the backbone of efficiency. Taking stock of your goals and planning what needs to happen in order for you to achieve those goals is the first step. A daily to-do list is essential for effectiveness in running any business. One of the biggest challenges that clinic owners face is how to get it ALL done. There are many parts and pieces to running a successful clinic and many times the acupuncturist is the one who has to do ALL the jobs. Highly effective business owners and entrepreneurs check off their daily to-do lists and set goals on a regular basis. If you want to make the most of your time, start adopting this very effective technique.
I recently attended a great leadership course taught by Mary Hambleton of Soul Canyon. She poses the question of “How could you better structure your day, week, or month to give the right amount of attention to your tasks and to the people who need your attention? ” Great question ! Isn’t this the one we are all trying to solve???
Her solution is a S.M.A.R.T plan of action. She advises taking at least 15 minutes for the next 30 days to set your goals and tackle your to-do lists. If your list items are more than 15 minutes, break them down into further lists. It’s best to try and bite off small chunks at a time so that you don’t get overwhelmed or side tracked by your tasks.
The S.M.A.R.T. Plan
SPECIFIC: Make your tasks and goals as SPECIFIC as possible. Include details of how/ when/ what you want done. Examples: Get an insurance PA for a specific client today. Draft a one year goal sheet.
MEASURABLE: Select goals and tasks that you can measure. These can be monetary, schedule driven, or self focused like: Allow 20 minutes this week for staff check ins. Schedule that time and plan your questions and topics. Write one blog article this week.
ACTIONABLE: Focused bullets of what you are able to handle and accomplish in your set amount of time. You should be able to put these tasks in to practice immediately. Example: create folders for more organization, order needles and supplies, register for online CEUs today.
REALISTIC: Make sure your tasks are realistic for the time you have set aside. Try not to overwhelm yourself with unrealistic goals and tasks. Putting something like: Train the new employee on the list is not realistic for one task session. This category is so important. Hold yourself accountable and make sure you can accomplish the items on your lists.
TIMEBOUND: The goals and tasks should have deadlines or timelines. Example: We need to see 30 patients per week by April of 2020.
When you have done this for 30 days, look back and ask yourself how this exercise has helped you. And congratulate yourself on what you accomplished. Then set another 30 day goal.
If you are the tech savvy type, and prefer to use apps or programs to help you with your tasks, check out Asana and Slack for apps that help you prioritize, track, and share your tasks and projects with you team, or hold yourself accountable with timelines. These programs are free for small teams and do have a bit of a learning curve, but once set up, can increase your productivity and organization.
“Nothing happens unless you create a space of time.” – Napoleon Hill
