Keeping the focus.

As your practice grows, you should hopefully be faced with a new problem. Focus. This could be due to more admin tasks, running a team, or simply more people to see, consider and take care of.

All these increases can make it harder for us to keep our focus on the main thing, adjusting. And we have all been there (if you haven’t you will) when we are in the middle of adjusting and our mind wanders. This is dangerous! Either we are thinking about all the tasks we must do, about the difficult patient at 5pm, or what we need to make dinner! The issue here is, as our mind wanders, our potential to cause harm increases.

With that said I want to share with you my Top 3 ways to stay focused and present whilst adjusting, so that you can deliver the best adjustment possible and have the capacity to serve more people and change more lives.

1.       Present Time Consciousness.
Above all the most important thing to do is to focus in each and every moment of your day, this is present time consciousness. Simply the art of being present, without distraction and aware of what is in front of you. Now this does take practice, I mean as you’re reading this you might be feeling the pull of temptation to check social media or the panic to move onto the next task.
The issue here is we never remain fully present and therefore our productivity reduces. Being in the moment takes practice. Some simple strategies that you can use to become more focused include:
i) The sigh. Yes, it is shown that sighing can increase your parasympathetic response and focus you in the moment.
ii) The pause. As you are going through a task or about to adjust, simply pause. Reengage in what you are doing and continue.

2.       Weekly Planning.
This is essential to prevent the panic that comes with feeling overwhelmed and behind in your jobs/task list. Each Sunday, take the time to look at your week ahead and at the most important tasks on your jobs list, the ones that will move you forward. Plan your coming week by the hour, placing in where you will be focused adjusting, where you will be focused on family, where you will work out. All structured so that when you are in the moment you are concentrated and ‘free’. Discipline here really does create freedom.

3.       Diary Structure.
In your practice, have a structured diary. This prevents fatigue and keeps focus. So many clients when I start with them just book patients anywhere and squeeze New Patients in where they can. This is confusing and can clutter the mind.
Structure your diary so that certain appointments always happen at certain times, and block book your adjusting, this means no gaps between.
My advice is to start and end each shift with no more than 90 mins adjusting, and in the middle of each shift put your New Patients and Reports.

So there you have it. Some preparations and pausing to perfect your way to present time consciousness.

With love,

Tom