DEBRA MILLER
DIRECTOR OF COACHING
A few years ago, a young couple in their early thirties finally decided to renovate their ensuite bathroom. They had a spa-like vision: deep soaking tub, double rain shower with body jets, quartz and designer tile, etc. They had been dreaming about this vision ever since they bought their 40-year-old house.
To save money, they were going to do as much of it themselves as possible. “Except for a plumber and electrician, everything else we can order from Amazon and learn from YouTube. We’re in no hurry, and it will be fun!”, they said. Furthermore, to inaugurate finally pulling the trigger on the project, they had ceremoniously demolished their existing boxy 1980s vanity one weekend. “We’ve begun!”, they exclaimed.
Eight months later, practically nothing else had been done. They had an extensive list of items on their Amazon Wishlist, but nothing had been ordered. All their initial energy had subsided, and they were facing a stark reality: they didn’t know what to do first, how to organize and prioritize, or even which YouTube video to believe because there was a lot of conflicting advice from people of uncertain qualifications. Every question seemed to result in more questions, leading to “paralysis by analysis”, and their ability to get past that was limited by everything else in their life that they had to do (career, family, etc.).
They seemed resigned to the idea that “someday” it would be finished even though they had no specific plan or momentum. In the meantime, they had to accept a lot of compromises since their bathroom had just bare pipes where their vanity had been. They were brushing their teeth, shaving and putting on makeup in the kids/guest bathroom which created stress and congestion every day.
Despite being committed to do-it-yourself, they were becoming more frustrated as the weeks and months continued to roll on. Finally, a neighbor stepped in and offered to guide them. This man had spent his career building and renovating houses, and he began to meet with the couple every two weeks for four hours.
Together, he helped them plan all aspects of the project, including what needed to be done in what order. The couple was coached through some key choices and advised against pitfalls to avoid. They were given instructions and standards to meet, and (most importantly) what to get done in the next two weeks. The coach helped them with buying lists for each stage, and in some cases had access to specialty tools they could use for some tasks.
Four and half months later, the master bathroom was complete and as perfect as they had envisioned. They were so happy and had so much pride in what they had accomplished. And they understood what made the difference: “Once we realized we needed a coach, we could trust the process and actually make progress.”
Investing in your practice
As an analogy to your practice, many doctors can relate to the above story. Many doctors spend years living with compromises (some big, some small) and always seem to be waiting for “someday” when the conditions are right to make progress. The do-it-yourself mindset is pervasive, but there are questions about priorities, timing and resources. Plus, of course, keeping the practice running, not disrupting the daily flow and training the team.
Coaching empowers you to be a better business owner who is responsible and accountable for growth and success. A coach does not do all the work for you, but guides and supports your practice with strategies, resources, tools, knowledge and experience so your vision can be achieved as effortlessly, efficiently and enjoyably as possible.
It’s that simple. Can you do it on your own? Sometimes. Will you do it on your own? Maybe someday, but how long can you wait? This could be your best year ever if you invest in coaching to transform your practice and transform your life.
The best way to start is with a complimentary practice analysis where you can tell us your vision and we can look at your “big picture” practice factors to begin mapping out a plan. You can schedule a practice analysis when it is convenient for you. If you are coming to AAE24 in Los Angeles, we can meet face-to-face (just choose a date and time during the AAE event days).