Do These 5 Things for 2006 Kirk Behrendt ACT Speaker & Coach Click here for a printer-friendly version

Use this checklist of 5 quick and simple things to dramatically improve the quality of your life in 2006.

_____1. Block at least 4 weeks of vacation for 2006 now.

If you can't block 4 weeks of vacation, it tells me that your practice is RUNNING YOU instead of you running it. Get help if you can't do it. You deserve it. Life is racing by you right now. Stop staring at the walls inside your lab. Last year, my wife and I met a family of five on a flight to Miami that was heading on to St. Thomas, but the kids had no idea where they were going. This was a family that was having a blast. Every year they go on two vacations where the kids don't know the destination. The parents only tell them the words "warm" or "cold" so they can pack accordingly. Then the parents hide the boarding passes, rental car info, and lodging info from the kids. They don't give them any clues until they arrive at their destination. They make it a game of trickery every time. You should have seen the look on these kids faces. It was awesome! These kids had some really fun parents. Take one trip where you do the same thing with your spouse or significant other. They will love it.

_____2. Take sole responsibility for dating your spouse or significant other again.

A dentist in Virginia gave me this one. He said that at age 50 it was really hard to look around and see all of his friends getting divorced after the kids left the nest. He said that you have to be careful that you don't roll over after 20 years of marriage and see a stranger. The turning point for him was when he realized that he couldn't wait for his wife to get a babysitter for their "date-night." If he would have, it would have never happened. Take sole responsibility for setting up the regular date night instead of waiting for help from your spouse. Remember the word "busy" is the silent killer of all relationship magic.

_____3. Make a decision to change your hours by April 1.

The Rule of 32 applies here. There isn't a comprehensive dentist in the country that should have to work more than 32 clinical hours a week. Decide how much of yourself you are going to give to your business. If you are not careful, you business will swallow you up. Lately, I have seen some of the best dentists in the country go to 7 am to 3 pm schedules (M-Th) and really love it. The team members love it more than the dentists do. Write down a list of what is important to you about life (breakfast with my children, being home for dinner by 5:30, having exercise time before I go to work, no Saturdays, etc) and then CREATE YOUR BUSINESS AROUND THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE. Life comes first….business comes second.

_____4. Put all of your savings goals on auto-pilot.

Take a regular salary if you don't already. Get on an automatic payroll system with your entire office to automate the tax deposit process. Call all of your financial saving institutions and tell them to take a regular amount or percentage out of your personal checking account for those goals that are important to you (tithe, pension, children's educations, etc). Have all debits taken out on the 5th of each month. Live on what is left until next month. Remove the greatest obstacle to saving money…You.

_____5. Sign up for ONE THING related to your health that will scare the heck out of you.

Your reward is WHO YOU WILL BECOME in order to finish something like this. Sign up for a Marathon, ½ marathon or triathlon.  Try climbing 5 fourteeners (mountains over 14,000 ft) in a week, bike across a state, etc.  Forget trying to get in shape. Sign up for something you can't just TRY. Sign up for an event you have to TRAIN or prepare intensely for. Make sure this event makes the "top 10 greatest accomplishments of my life" list.  Start filling your list with some cool things besides dental-related stuff.

Life is way too short....force yourself to enjoy it. 

See you soon,

Kirk