What Failure Can Teach Us

When we started in practice after graduating with our Doctor of Chiropractic degree, we all thought we would blaze a trail of natural health, teaching and healing ADIO.  

People would be lined up for our help.  All we had to do was hang a shingle.  

That was our plan.  We didn’t need to do anything else. And let’s not talk about marketing, procedures, systems, or even proper care plans. Just get ‘em in, adjust them, turn the power on and you will have customers for life.

I mean, that is basically what we were taught in school. There was no career guides, counselors or maps to guide you from one step to the next: 

Yes, we had to write a business plan, but basically the plan was to rent a space, buy a table and adjust.  Am I right?

Now, if you have been in business/practice for any amount of time, you know that type of plan was a plan for failure.  Failures aren’t a bad thing. Actually they are great for learning and growing in business and practice.

What I learned after closing my first practice in 6 months was what NOT to do, but also to seek out the help of others. Not just other chiropractors, other business owners and learn from them.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that you have to have structure and systems to your business.  Opening any business on a whim without a vision, goal, procedures, marketing, and systems is a recipe for closure.

So, here is one KEY to success;

Keep the big vision in sight.

A big vision will take you far. I put this tip first because when things go wrong on the path to your success, and they will, keeping the big vision in mind will enable you to steer your way back to a successful course. 

My BIG VISION is what was the driver to keep pushing on with my practice.  I closed one down, moved away and re-opened.  22 years later I am still in a wonderful, lucrative business.

It may not always be the course you imagined, but your big vision becomes your north star, which in turn helps you navigate and orient yourself through the darkness.