Well… 2021 is off to a not-so-great-start. But that doesn’t mean that YOU can’t make 2021 the best year for YOU.
We are a whole week and a half into the new year, and if you made some resolutions, now is the perfect time to get serious about them.
In this post, I will give some tips on how to keep your resolutions AND offer some simple resolutions to add to help improve your career as a dental assistant, hygienist or front office staff.
Tips to help keep your resolutions.
#1 Don’t overwhelm yourself
I recently read somewhere (I read a lot, but don’t keep the sources, I know…) that you shouldn’t have more than 2 new year’s resolutions. Any more than that, and you get overwhelmed and end up quitting all your resolutions. Having 1 or 2 resolutions is a much easier pill to swallow and you will most likely succeed.
#2 Write them down
Quote Time!
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
— Greg Reid
And that is how you reach your resolutions. Have a precise plan of action, write it down and put it somewhere you will see that plan everyday.
#3 Don’t sweat the off days
This was the one that used to always get me. I would start a resolution so strong, and then have 1 day that just messed everything up.
So I would quit.
Which, of course, is the worst thing you can do.
Consistency is what makes a resolution come true, NOT perfection. So if you have a bad day where you eat all the cookies, or didn’t read for 30 minutes, or whatever your goal may be, just let it be one bad day. The next day, pick up right where you left off and continue to make those lifestyle changes.
#4 Resolutions should be lifestyle changes not just goals
Resolutions or goals are often put in place because you want to achieve something. Whether that be more income, a thinner waist, more inner peace, whatever, there is no point in working hard to hit these goals, just to hit them and then go back to life as before. You should be approaching these goals as if you want to incorporate them into your life, forever. If you do that, you will succeed.
Resolutions for the dental professional
In trying to keep with the 1 to 2 resolutions to achieve this year, I don’t want to throw too many resolution ideas at you. However, I do believe that 1 resolution should be personal and 1 should be professional. So if you haven’t thought of any professional goals for this year, take a look at these three.
#1 Improve career and skills
Granted this is a very blanketed statement/goal, but only you know what you want to improve in your career.
Do you want to master a certain procedure?
Do you want to become fully cross trained?
Do you want to get certified or licenced in a certain specialty?
Take a good look at where you are now in your career and decide where you want to be 1 year from now, then 5 years from now, and then 10 years from now. See it? Take that, break it down, and work out the steps to get there.
This post will also help you improve your dental career: 4 things you should do to improve your dental career.
#2 Make more income
We are definitely in the age of the side hustle. And the one good thing that came out of these shutdowns, is time.
Time to get your side hustle on.
Easiest side hustle for dental assistants, hygienists and front office personnel, is to temp in another dental office on your days off.
DirectDental now lets you search for temp work on specific days. Allowing you to work (and make that extra money) when you can.
Here are some other tips for making more income as a dental professional.
5 ways to get your dentist to pay you more money now.
8 ways dental professionals can earn a paycheck during the Coronavirus Pandemic
#3 Get a new job
Seems like getting a new job is always a big resolution. I had many years where that was my resolution.
Luckily many dental offices are still hiring and most are offering better pay and benefits.
So here are some quick tips to help you find a new job.
- Update your resume or complete your DirectDental profile.
- Start temping- it’s a great way to try out various offices and they will most likely hire you if it is a good match.
- Search jobs based on your specifications – DirectDental has the best search filters that are specific to your profession.
- Read on for more tips and tricks to help find the best job for you. These posts will help!
Tell us in the comments: What are your new years resolutions? And how to do you plan to achieve them?
My resolutions?
Personal: Read 2 books every month (1 fun and 1 for career/personal growth).
Professional: Continue to build and grow DirectDental by implementing new processes and marketing strategies. The goal is to do 3x more in 2021 than we did in 2020.
Smiles,
Holli Perez
CoFounder of DirectDental
