I was thinking the other day about the last time we had an intense thunderstorm. We don’t get them often in Las Vegas, but when they show up – you pay attention. The thunder rolls in. The clouds open up. The rain pours down. And flood warnings start pouring in.

One recent storm in particular was pretty powerful. The rain was so heavy that the gutters were literally overflowing with sheets of water cascading down the sides and corners of the house. Lightning crackled across the sky, and the winds picked up anything that was not firmly attached and blew it where it willed. 

It was beautiful and super intense, all at the same time. But soon enough, the dark clouds rolled out, the sun shone down, and the gutters were able to catch their breath. It was like everything was clean, fresh, and brand new.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this and what it has to do with anything related to business, marketing or delivering clinical services. Well, I think it’s a perfect analogy for every healthcare clinician, especially right now. 

At the time, the thunder storm felt chaotic and overwhelming at the moment. In business, the same thing can happen. The proverbial storm hits and rain starts to pour in, causing all kinds of chaos. And as practitioners who are also business owners, we can become super overwhelmed while it’s happening.

But the good news is: This is the perfect time to do a reboot of your practice. Keep reading to find out why. 

What Does It Mean to Reboot Your Practice?

Every practice has its own storms. Employees leave, patients complain, cash flow is tight and the hours you’re putting in doesn’t equal what you’re taking home as a paycheck. Regardless of what kind of storm you may be in, it feels like somewhere along the way, you took a wrong turn and are somewhere you never intended to be. 

It could also be due to:

• Lack of knowledge about how to run a business
• Concern about the economy and your financial future
• Realizing the type of patients you’re seeing really don’t light you up
• Admitting to yourself that your workload is more draining than you thought 

Having these eye-opening realizations can feel scary. They can also be your first step to getting back on your right path. 

So, my friend, if you’ve been thinking these thoughts or feeling these feels, I want to encourage you first and foremost that you are not alone. Many practitioners are in the same boat but don’t really know what to do or where to start. So they stand at the window and stare outside, paralyzed by the chaos and wondering what’s going to happen next. 

But after the storm breaks and you become intentional about getting the mess cleaned up and preparing a little better for the next time, this is how you can begin to reboot your practice. It invites you to look at what’s not working and start over with a clean slate. It gives you a precious opportunity to get the wind back in your sails and make critical changes that you may not have otherwise made.

A Quick Note on What Rebooting Isn’t

When you hear the word “reset” you may think that you’re starting over from scratch – like back in the 1980s when Nintendo NES was the go-to gaming console, and Mario Brothers was ALL the rage. You were bee-bopping along, advancing from castle to castle, but soon enough, you used up all your extra lives. It was game over, and you were back to the very beginning as a squatty little Mario. Terrible!

Let me be clear. Resetting your practice is NOT like playing Nintendo. Everything you’ve done up to this point is valuable and serves a purpose. I repeat: Rebooting your practice is NOT starting over.

Okay, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get to some tips and strategies to help get you on your way…

Reboot Your Practice With These 3 Strategies

If you’re at a point where you know you have some trees down and a few messes that need to be cleaned up, that’s the perfect time to hit that reset button. Here are three strategies to help you get started.

1. Get Back in Touch With Your “Why”

Think back to when you first decided to become a chiropractor, health coach, or other type of holistic health care practitioner. What drew you to that?

Did you suffer from migraines and experience the healing power of a chiropractic adjustment first-hand?

Did a nutritionist help restore your gut health, and now you want to help others do the same?

Did you find yourself overwhelmed after having a baby, and that postpartum doula nurtured your body back to wholeness?

Dive deep, and remember the reason you wanted to become a wellness practitioner in the first place. Reground yourself in what lights you up and gives you that energetic pep in your step. Let that be your northstar as you look ahead to determine your next steps.

2. Re-Center Your Mindset

For some practitioners, embracing a reset comes about after a jarring experience – like the thunderstorm. When you feel like everything is a mess and the rug has been pulled out from under you, it’s easy to feel a bit down and beat yourself up. 

But not here and not today. This is the perfect time to start your reboot and recenter your mindset. Now is when you want to reacquaint yourself with that optimistic “glass half-full” frame of mind so you can approach your business mess with a fresh new perspective and renewed energy. 

Record new affirmations for yourself. Refresh your morning routine. And don’t forget to let your team in on the changes so they can be flexible and adaptable with the new direction you’re about to take.

3. Re-Center Your Practice

When you look at each part of your practice – from your vision and values, to your office staff, to your marketing strategy – each area should be evaluated and realigned to your new purpose and direction. Wherever possible, clear up any ambiguity and keep things simple.

Think through your services, patient experience, computer software, and social media strategy, and identify the areas that are most out of alignment with where you want to be. Anything and everything is fair game! Make sure every element of your practice is aligned with your core values, and remove what’s no longer serving you.

When you’re clear about where you want to go and what you want your practice to look like after the storm has rolled through, it will be much easier to make the necessary changes. And when your mindset and your practice is aligned, your patients get the best care and experience you have to offer. So, as you start to re-assemble each area of your practice, be sure to keep your patients at the center of everything you do because without them, your practice won’t continue to grow.

Is It Time to Reboot Your Practice?

Sometimes, we need a good thunderstorm to stir things up a bit and clear the air. Once it passes through, we can easily see the things that need our attention – the things that blew around willy-nilly and weren’t secure during the storm.

You may not be able to control the storms, but you can decide what to take away from the experience. It could be a slight tweak or a major overhaul. Either way, trust yourself and always stay true to who you are.

And remember – I’ve got your back. 

I’ve rebooted a time or two during my career as a clinician and business owner. And each time, I’ve learned a little more about myself and where I need to find someone to help me figure out a more efficient and effective way of doing business. And as a business coach for wellness practitioners, I’ve helped countless professionals reboot their practices and get back in touch with the work they truly love doing.  

If you feel like something needs to change, but you’re not sure what or how to go about it, let me know. Let’s hop on a call so I can learn more about what’s got you chasing your tail. We can explore how I may be able to help you, and whether we’re a good fit for working together. Let’s get you back to being that confident, thriving practitioner I know you are!