If life were a dot-to-dot (bear with me), the bold standout dots create an emerging picture of you and your life, each one representing pivotal moments and a milestone achieved. Each dot is a key part of your story. But these headline moments inevitably overshadow the fainter lines between each one – the lines that represent the journey and graft it takes to get from one to the next. Those are the bits that no one really sees. And arguably they are way more important than the destination dots.
Many of us work hard to achieve specific goals. Whether you’ve just qualified as a dentist, bought your first practice or launched a new dental training business, there are obviously significant steps to follow that get you there. Each new thing we accomplish provides many learning opportunities along the way. The time spent between the victories are way more important as they represent an accumulating lifetime’s worth of investment – not just time, but the creation of good habits, discipline and focus. And with each headline event we are developing those positives in readiness for the next.
My top tips for focusing on the journey (instead of the goal) are:
Keep going – show up every day, even when it’s hard. Be prepared by doing whatever it is that puts you in the right frame of mind. A brisk walk/run, revitalising shower, the right clothes and good coffee might be your go-to. Once you have a goal in mind, stay focused. Write this week’s tasks on a whiteboard in big letters – do whatever you need to stay on the thin joining line that is taking you to the next dot.
Break it down – tackling a series of small steps is infinitely the easiest way to manage a large project as we all know. It’s satisfying to cross things off a list, knowing you’re making progress. You can also plan your days and weeks more effectively if you have an idea of what you need to accomplish to keep moving forward.
Build in some resilience – be ready for the setbacks, understanding that you are likely to take some steps back occasionally before you can take more steps forward – that’s just life! Learn from any mistakes and view them as part of your personal investment into your work.
Work out what’s rewarding for you – align your rewards with a combination of performance, values and goals. Acknowledge each part of your progress and think about how you respond to different kinds of milestones. If you know that you enjoy peer collaboration, formal training courses or more relaxed, self-guided tuition to reach your goal, you might consider planning those for support and motivation. Seeing improvement by repeating and practising a complicated skill gives you physical evidence of your progress. There are lots of ways to assess your successes, however small, as rewards for your endeavours.
Enjoy the quest and plan the next – remember we’re mapping out our careers as a series of unique dot-to-dot achievements. It’s not linear and is very much open to exploration, including any twists and turns you want to include. What’s next?
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Aimed specifically at early career dentists, I can help with both the practical and patient care aspects of becoming a seriously good endodontist. Currently we have two courses running with dates set for 2023. Shake up your Shaping (1 day) and Endo Roots (3 days).
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