Case Study #1: Practicing Successfully with Ease
The client: David Naylor has been a chiropractor in North Carolina for almost three decades. He has been proactive about reinventing himself and his practice, as changes in the industry and his personal life encouraged transformation. He’d been through different practice management courses over the years. When we began working together he’d recently completed another program, but had come away feeling like he wasn’t moving in the direction he wanted to go.
The issue: David didn’t feel that he was successful and this was causing him distress. He was in a continuous state of striving for more or, as he put it, “constantly pushing.”
“I have looked outside myself for reasons and answers to achieving my goals, when in actuality my issues were on the inside. None of the practice management groups I worked with in my 28 plus years of practice addressed this aspect of growth. Dr. Simon has patiently and compassionately helped me realize this to be true and empowered me to practice with greater ease and a new vision of possibility and success. I am truly appreciative and grateful for the work we have done together.”
— David Naylor, DC
The process: We spent David’s first few coaching sessions carefully dissecting his situation and, somewhat surprisingly, found that what he said he wanted — to achieve his patient numbers and financial goals and have enough family time — was already in place in his practice and life. Coaching David was largely about helping him claim his own success. The focus of our work became about helping him practice with a greater sense of ease. This required redefining his vision and goals and involving his staff. Once David realized that his practice was running smoothly and that he didn’t need to worry about things financially or operationally, he began to pay more attention to his overall approach. He began to practice in a way that felt more authentic and in alignment with his values and vision, as opposed to measuring his success primarily by the numbers.
The outcome: David has relaxed into a new way of practicing. He’s working because he loves to work and his practice continues to thrive. “I really learned that my issues were more on the inside than on the outside,” says David. “I’d always felt that way but I didn’t know there was anyone who could help me with that.” Although David is at a place in his practice and in his life where many chiropractors would be looking toward imminent retirement, David has reinvented himself yet again with a new vision and an increased sense of presence and awareness. “People have always commented that I’m patient,” says David, “but I have more inner peace now. I have felt a big shift in how I approach everyone in my life — my wife, my children, my staff.”
Interestingly, by adopting this more relaxed approach, David sees his practice continuing to grow. “I have extremely good people working with me now,” says David. “We set our personal and professional goals together. One of my staff told me the other day that she hopes we grow old together and retire at the same time.” Practicing with ease indeed.
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