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The New Year is the time when people get “charged up” about starting fresh. They’re excited to start new and make big changes for the better.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard… “Next year is going to be the year when I make significant changes in my life, my work, and my practice.” And, unfortunately, a few months into the New Year, they haven’t made any changes, they’re heading down the same path, doing what they’ve always done and getting what they’ve always gotten.

If this is your pattern, your MO, don’t give up! I challenge you to make it different this year.

I spoke at a veterinary conference a few years ago. The title of my talk was “Practice Toolkit: 5 Solutions for a Phenomenal 2016.” A month prior, I happened to be on the phone with a veterinary practice owner. I told her I was speaking at an upcoming conference and the title of my talk. Her response was “Why would I want to be phenomenal?”

Taken aback, I replied, “Why would you not?”

“Well, I’m OK, the practice is OK—not great, but OK—and I think it would be too hard to be phenomenal,” she said.

I told her, “It may be hard, because being phenomenal takes energy. It takes daily effort.”

That conversation reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: “It’s better to aim for the top of the hill and miss, than aim for the ditch and hit it.” 

Aiming for the ditch is easy. It’s status quo, coasting, and doing what you’ve always done. Aiming for the top of the hill takes effort, courage, stepping out of your comfort zone, and doing things that scare you.

This quote inspires me daily to “aim high” in every aspect of my personal and professional life, and I hope it will inspire you.

How to create a phenomenal 2019

Here are four easy steps to get back on track and create a phenomenal 2019:

#1: Create your vision.

Take some quiet time to really get clear about what you want for your life, work, and/or your practice. I heard a coach colleague once say, “If you were to wave your REALISTIC magic wand, what would the future look like for you?”

REALISTIC is the key word. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have stretch goals, but ensure they are achievable based on what you have today.

#2: Identify your current state.

Step back and take a good, hard look at what is currently happening. Describe a typical day in your life and work. Use adjectives to describe what you see. Do you see chaos, confusion, stress? Are you in a state of overwhelm? Or, do you see someone who is relaxed, happy, in control, and running a smooth practice? Get specific about what is happening right now.

#3: Identify what’s holding you back.

Now that you’ve identified your “future desired state”—that realistic vision for your future—and looked at your current state—what’s happening right now—you can see that there is a gap between the two.

Now, you need to identify what might be holding you back from moving forward to the place you want to be. Is it a limiting belief that says “I can’t do this,” “I’m not smart enough,” or “I don’t have the time”? Is it fear—fear of letting go of a toxic employee or fear of hiring a new member for the team?

We are imprinted throughout our lives with beliefs by our parents, peers, teachers, and colleagues. Unfortunately, many of those are limiting beliefs that don’t serve us well in our personal and professional lives. But, we have control. We have the power to remove those limiting beliefs from our head and replace them with more empowering beliefs that serve us well.

Identify your limiting beliefs. Take a piece of paper and jot down all the limiting beliefs that hold you back and keep you stuck. Look at the “I cant’s” and the “I’ll never’s” that you say to yourself and write them down. You’ve just taken the first step to change them. When you write things down they become more concrete, and the result is you stepping into action.

Create more empowering beliefs that serve you well. Make sure you write these beliefs in the present tense, as if they are already true. For example, if a disempowering belief is “I’ll never be a successful practice owner,” the empowering belief can be “I am a successful, powerful, and abundant veterinarian, leader, and business owner.”

#4: Get moving.

Create action steps and start moving toward your vision. Identify the top three steps you need to take in the next 90 days to move you in the right direction and do them! The biggest challenge for many clients is getting out of their own way and getting into inertia.

Start NOW!

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Michael Linardi

Michael Linardi, CEO and founder of Halcyon Coaching, is a life, business, and executive coach, strategist, and organizational consultant. He has more than 30 years of experience in management, facilitating, training, coaching, and behavior change. Having held management positions for several Fortune 500 companies, including Johnson and Johnson, General Motors, and General Dynamics, he utilized strong organizational, communication, and listening skills to reach his objectives. A student of leadership and management, he enjoys the opportunity to support veterinarians and veterinary professionals to create phenomenal success in their personal and professional lives. Michael found his way into the veterinary industry through his husband, Dr. Dean Tyson. Dean is the cofounder of Veterinary Medical Center, an eight-doctor, mixed-animal practice in Easton, Maryland. Michael completed his graduate at American University's Health Fitness Management Master's program. He also completed his studies in coaching from Coach University and is certified as a professional certified coach through the International Coach Federation. Michael and Dean live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with their two French bulldogs, Waldo and Monkey, and horse, Fiona.

Latest posts by Michael Linardi (see all)

• From the VetPartners Experts: 4 Steps to Create a Phenomenal 2019 - March 21, 2019