It’s Monday evening and I’m doing my nightly journaling reflections from the day.
I woke up on this beautiful Monday morning around 4 a.m. It is quite normal for me to be up early. Over the last five years or so, I have crafted a morning routine that has served me well. A routine that allows me to manage all of my four futures before any of my children get up and before the outside world starts to get their claws in me. Journal, meditate, workout, time with God…I also spend a few minutes outlining the things I want to accomplish today
For me the list, I call it my “DAILY BIG 3”, was focused around owning and operating a dental business . . .
- Meet with my operations person about the dental assisting school we are opening
- Go over financials for Feb and determine where we can tweak things to maximize profits
- Monthly 1 on 1 with one of my doctors and start the conversation about partnership
It was going to be a “productive day.”
Then, as I was coming into the kitchen around 6 a.m., fresh off my morning workout, my 17-year-old son Jack, a senior in high school, was sitting at the counter staring off into space. Something was not right, as this knucklehead usually needs to be dragged out of bed by me around 8 a.m., 15 minutes before his first class.
“Dad, I’m not sure about the commitment I made to St. John Fisher College. I felt good about it last week, and I know I told the coach that I would play football there but over the last week or so I’m having second thoughts”
At that moment my day changed. The “Big 3” would wait and my day would now be focused on Jack, and my responsibilities of being the Dad that he needs in that moment.
“Jack, let’s figure this out brother. Can you get away from school today? I can get away from work. Let’s get a workout in, go to breakfast and then drive out to the St. John Fisher campus and try to get a sense on if the school is for you or not. What do you think?”
He didn’t have to say a word, the look on his face said everything I needed to know his response.
What a day we had. Intimate. Present. Full of love. It was a day I will not forget anytime soon.
Five years ago, being able to make a quick, spur of the moment decision like this would have been impossible. Never before having the freedom the morning of a busy work day that I wasn’t going to show up for work?
- What about Mrs. Jones’ root canal?
- What about making payroll?
- What about the team losing hours?
- What about all the people depending on me?
Five years ago I owned a great paying job, but I didn’t own a business. I was shackled to a building, to a treatment room, to a clinical schedule. I didn’t own the freedom to not be present. I didn’t have leaders and providers in place that could manage things in my absence.
Five years ago I came to this realization and I started the process to remedy the problem. The solutions took time to implement. There were some obstacles to overcome. I put a vision and plan in place that I would own a business that was independent of me, that could support me and the spouse and parent I wanted to become. Financially, Emotionally, Purposefully…
Spending the day today with Jack was a beautiful gift. A gift that came from setting a plan in place and executing on it. In the pouring rain we walked for 2 hours all over that campus. Talking, laughing, figuring shit out. Jack is now 100% confident in his decision to play football for and attend St. John Fisher college in the fall
You may feel like something like this is very out of reach for you. You cannot even imagine, or fathom a successful dental practice that supports you financially yet is not nearly as dependent on you as it is now. Perhaps the thought is unimaginable. Perhaps that’s the problem.
Start to imagine it, like I did five years ago. Start to wonder. What’s possible? Visualize what it looks like, what it feels like. Set the course and get to work. Its never too late. Start today.
You know what they say about when the best time to plant a tree is, right? Let’s start planting this vision for you today.
