"It is a shame that in medical school students aren't
being provided with reinforcement of the various
elements of your personality which take you to
your maximum potential and success as a physician."
During the last 15 years or so, while I've been totally involved in business and marketing issues, I have repeatedly run into references by the experts relating to the topic I'm about to talk about today. You make the disciplinary rules you want to live by to accomplish what you want in your life. So why do we fail to follow the rules we establish ourselves, change the rules so often, and never quite understand why things aren't working out as expected?
It's quite a lot more complex than simply seeing the logic and sensibleness of creating our own rules of behavior that benefit us. The value of discipline in our lives takes on a far greater importance after we have experienced the difficulties of not having limitations or rules to follow, or at least seeing the results of what happens to others who have no rules for their behavior.
Discipline that we construct for ourselves has to be learned and practiced. Beyond that, discipline must be applied to every aspect of our lives in order to provide ourselves with the tools necessary to reach the ultimate highest level of our careers, talents, skills, and potentials.
Think about why a few physicians do so much better in their careers than most others. Most have comparable levels of intelligence and skills related to medical practice, yet seem to do so much better financially and reputation wise, even from the same medical school class. Discipline used to it's maximum level, is the answer.
The secret to success at work and personal potential is the product of discipline. You are guided by the disciplines that result in the most advantages and opportunities. Successful people normally set their professional goals, then establish the disciplines to follow to get there, while disregarding the less important, time wasting, energy destroying, and side ventures, which don't contribute to the
performance goals.
Definition of discipline: an activity, training, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill. Ultimately, where we go from there, how successful we become, how much money we make, and how happy we become is totally dependent on disciplining ourselves.
I must have slept through that "discipline" class in medical school. Like a lot of young people, I did have a good idea what I wanted to do in life, but at that time I had no idea if I had the patience, skills, talents, or determination to make it happen. I thought I'd take a shot at getting into medical school and, if that was not possible, I'd go into chemical engineering.
Desire can't do anything for our destiny, career, goals, or ambitions. Desire and ambition fade with time into procrastination and regret. Desire may be the match that ignited taking action, but the discipline we structure ourselves, keeps it burning. Then, it becomes a matter of degree and persistence of the discipline we keep to reach career success.
Discipline and the Holy Spirit within us enables our strength for such things as:
1. Self-control
2. Making the right decisions
3. Creating opportunities that otherwise won't be there
4. Setting and attaining goals
5. Accomplishing almost anything you desire
6. Makes for an orderly life
7. Permits access to levels of respect and integrity
otherwise unattainable.
Why discipline is so important:
Without discipline, we accomplish nothing in our lives. Without it everything becomes spontaneous, unpredictable, and unreliable.
The enemies of discipline are our environment, our natural desires (mixed good and evil), and needs of our flesh. We are constantly pulled in all directions by our peers, family, bad advice, turmoil, stress, fear, and passion. Natural desires and instincts confuse us, make us vulnerable, and surge into our minds at the worst of moments. Our bodies require food, water, and shelter. Even more important is self-discipline of our thoughts and mind.
Discipline is a choice, not required, and is effective only when applied. Because of the free-will we have been given, discipline runs contrary to it and requires adding it to our lives a batch at a time. To keep discipline and order in our lives it takes practice using it in a persistent manner.
Discipline and self-control have significant rewards:
(These have nothing to do with your medical skills and talents)
- You develop character and are a better person.
- You make the right choices more often.
- You are more respected and responsible.
- Others trust you more.
- Opportunities become more prevalent.
- You will be healthier and happier.
- You are more dependable, reliable, and productive.
- Life is less stressful and more determined.
- Critical use of your time is top priority.
- Goals are reachable--short or long term.
- You are much more selective of friends and associates.
- You impact others around you more than ever.
When you program discipline into your life, what you value the most becomes evident. The greatest difficulty is sticking to the program. It's not easy. You just keep restarting over and over until it becomes a habit pattern.
The value you place on you selected path is determined by your diligence. If the value you place on being the best physician in your city is very important to you, your diligence in keeping on the right track will be extreme. Your diligence is fueled by the Spirit inside you and the passion you feel. You can't have one without the other.
Comment:
I can't help but think about how much more I could have done in my professional life if I had been taught, or learned early-on, the value of setting goals, the effects that discipline could have had on my college and medical career, and the importance of good career advice that was non-existent at the time.
These elements are found as part of every successful person I have ever met, no matter what business they were in, career path, or personal goals they selected.
It seems likely that I did have some of those elements at the time, perhaps unconsciously working for me and still do. It's sad that these things are not spoon-fed to children and reinforced in high school today.
Schools teach "getting by" and not "success." However, it all boils down to the fact that every person is responsible for their own life, starting in adulthood. That doesn't detract from the responsibility of parents to inspire them, and make them aware of these essentials, whether they understand them at the time or not.
The greatest challenge I believe is to get beyond the issue of, "You don't know what you don't know."
The most important areas of private medical practice which leads to the highest profits and success are those listed below--discipline is key to making each one a personal objective in your private
medical practice.
Requirements for maximizing your private medical practice income…
1. Good knowledge of medical practice management
2. Having the energy for continuous medical practice marketing
3. Medical practice business planning is important for direction
4. Marketing for physicians and their office staff is a winning set up.
5. Learn what makes a medical practice business successful
6. Your medical practice business system is essential.
7. Both practice marketing and physician marketing is rewarding.
8. Business success is the objective of all physicians in private medical practice.
9. My business teaching website—www.marketingamedicalpractice.com
----Professional Probe----
"Perhaps this scene can best ignite your
recognition of how powerful the discipline
and training, even in animals, can be even more
so in our own lives. And beyond that is the courage,
intention, desire, and persistence of the cat to even
begin to put itself into such a dangerous situation
while walking, not running, through the challenge,
which is a reminder that you can do the same
in your medical career by using the attributes you have
that allows you to reach your maximum potential with ease."
Articles©2013-2022/CGG INVESTMENTS LLC. All rights reserved. #153, 3-16-22
