Lessons Learned

By Stacy M. Menz, PT, DPT

Lessons Learned. Oh, there have been so many, and I’m sure many more to come! My goal has been to make sure I learn from these “lessons” so that they don’t repeat themselves.

I’ve also tried to implement systems and strategies to help mitigate circumstances that could have been prevented. Impact and the Private Practice Section (PPS) have been great resources for my practice. Each month as I read the articles, I pick up new tidbits that are either things I hadn’t thought of, or things that cause me to look at a scenario from a slightly different angle.

Life in private practice, as in general, always has twists and turns. Deb Gulbrandson’s article this month is very appropriate as we discuss this topic. She emphasizes that what matters is how we choose to react to the curve balls that life sends us. We may not be able to control everything in our universe, but we are able to control our reaction to these events. Moreover, what may seem awful when it happens can turn out to be a blessing in disguise. In fact, this really rang true for me when I recently received a notice of nonrenewal for our lease after 10 years. My initial response was one of doom and gloom. How was I supposed to find a new place in less than 90 days and continue to keep things running smoothly? As this situation played out, not only did we find a new place, but in the long run it turned out to be a much better environment for our practice and will allow us opportunities we weren’t able to pursue at our current location. So, what seemed like a crippling blow was actually a blessing in disguise!

I bet each of you could look back at events that may have seemed terrible at the time and find the good that came from them. Maybe you implemented a new system that has streamlined your operations, or diversified your marketing, or really defined and lived your company culture. Let’s learn from life’s lessons!