There are several major fears that activate PROCRASTINATION:

                * Fear of the unknown

                * Fear of rejection or looking foolish

                * Fear of failure

                * Fear of success

Many dentists fear success or making a commitment because it carries added responsibility that can seem too much to handle, such as setting a higher standard, or moving from GOOD to GREAT in any area of your life or business. Every additional commitment takes additional effort and energy and the willingness to take the risks that are associated with it. 

Many do not have adequate SELF IMAGE and the highly positive SELF ESTEEM that is required to take the risk of GROWTH or CHANGE or DEVELOPMENT. High achievers have HIGH SELF IMAGE and HIGH SELF ESTEEM.  Playing it safe is what low achievers and low risk takers do.

Below are some ideas to help you move toward VICTORY OVER CHANGE rather than being a VICTIM OF CHANGE:

1)  Get up early. Set your clock to get up an hour earlier than you normally do and keep the clock at that setting.  Use the time in the following way: 

2) Think about all the things/people/events for which you are GRATEFUL. Focus on every good thing in your life for which you are GRATEFUL.  If you want, you can do this while you walk with heavy hands, or exercise or ‘prayer walk’ or meditate, but keep your focus on GRATEFULNESS.

3)  Use this time to plan your day, your week, the week ahead.  

4)  Think about your ‘happy spot’ or ‘happy place’.  We all have ‘islands of happiness’ –those places that give us those special feelings. We also have people in our lives that bring joy and happiness into our lives…we need to let them know that they are that to us.

5)  Memorize the following that was given to me by a Priest, who was a patient of mine some 20 years ago:

Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff. If you can’t fight or flight…flow!!

6)  Handle each piece of mail, literature, e-mail, fax just once and then get rid of it. Focus on handling these things at the beginning of your day and the end of your day.

7)  Get in the habit of coming up with a solution to every problem rather than simply focusing on the problem.  When people bring problems to you, listen to them compassionately and then ask them to formulate a solution.  Give the problem identifier the responsibility for solving the problem. You can do this with them. 

8) Always finish what you start. Know that Progress is more important than Perfection. If you say you are going to do it, then finish it.  Completion adds an enormous amount to your SELF RESPECT and SELF ESTEEM.  CONCENTRATE your ENERGY and INTENSITY without distraction. Create your FOCUS TIME, or PERFORMANCE TIME…do not be distracted.

9)  Be CONSTRUCTIVELY HELPFUL rather than CRITICAL of every new idea.  Single out someone to praise or recognize rather than shoot them down, and participating in group bitching, grudge collecting or pity parties.

10)  Limit your TV viewing and INTERNET SURFING to educational and enlightening programs. Stay away from FOX and CNN and other networks that make the news rather than report the news.  The internet has become a great way for procrastinators to hide out instead of focusing on GOAL ACHIEVING ACTIVITIES.

11)  Make a list of important PROJECTS that will advance you personally or advance your business.  Taking immediate action reduces stress and tension.  Procrastination always leads to conflicts, complications and eventually crises. Look at GLOBAL WARMING…the DISEASE CARE CRISIS…the ENERGY CRISES and the FINANCIAL CRISIS. You think this happened all at once??

12)  Seek out SUCCESSFUL ROLE MODELS in any area of your life or business in which you want to succeed. Success leaves clues…so does failure.  Learn from others’ successes as well as others’ failures can improve your performance in any area of your life or business that is important. Every successful person I’ve ever observed has used STRATEGIES to CREATE MODELS to live their life by. Observe them and you can copy their MODEL. 

13)  Problems are part of life. In fact, they are the key to life. You either grasp them and do something about them or you stay STUCK.  With the rapid change in society today, you have many problems to solve every day…but are you working towards something or just problem solving?

Problems are opportunities to a real entrepreneur. They are opportunities to find solutions that people value and in which they are willing to pay. You only have the freedom of choice. You don’t have the freedom to choose your results. Results are determined by NATURAL LAWS.

Information is FREE. Knowledge is CHEAP. Wisdom is PRICELESS. 

Wisdom is knowing the OUTCOME before you take action.  Study with wise people and practice the principles and strategies they produce and your life will evolve in positive, life affirming ways. 

Dr. Michael Schuster

–Call us about how to integrate proven models and strategies into your dental practice for higher profitability and personal satisfaction,, 1-800-288-9393 or visit www.SchusterCenter.com