You’ve likely got many responsibilities pulling at you each day. At times you might even feel like the hamster on a wheel, running and running and not getting anywhere.
Private practice requires you to focus on: your clients and clinical work; getting more clients and referrals; billing and other administrative tasks; collaboration of care with other professionals; professional development; and so much more. How to you juggle all of that and make sure that your efforts are truly productive?
Here are 5 tips to help improve your productivity:
Tip 1: Make a plan and work it!
Get into the habit of creating a plan (or simply a to-do list) of things you need to accomplish. Each morning, read over your plan and check in with it midday to make sure you are on track. Taking action is only thing that makes your plan more than a piece of scrap paper
Tip 2: Don’t procrastinate
Get the tough things done first, whenever possible. If you haven’t done so already, read the book “Eat That Frog”. It is a good lesson in eating your vegetables first. Find the time of day that is most productive for you and use it to get those big projects done. Do them first whenever possible. You may get a lot of little things done by avoiding the big thing, but don’t confuse “busy” with productive
Tip 3: Don’t be afraid to say no
If you want your business to thrive, you must get important things done now! There will always be someone or something asking for your time. Don’t mindlessly say yes. Think about the request and determine if it is worthy of your time. If so, by all means, do it. If not, don’t hesitate to say no. You don’t need to apologize or explain. You can simply say “no”, or “I’ll have to pass this time”. Time is one of your most valuable, irreplaceable resources. Protect it at all cost
Tip 4: Start “chunking”
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. When you’ve got a big project or task to accomplish, don’t let its enormity paralyze you. It’s far better to “chunk” the project down into manageable tasks and schedule them for completion. Before you know it, your project will be complete, just because you did it one bite at a time.
Tip 5: Stay “on purpose”
Take the time to define your purpose and what you want to accomplish. Check in with yourself and ask: “Am I on-purpose right now?” Perhaps you aren’t, but that’s okay – you’re doing something else you planned for. Kevin McCarthy (author of The On-Purpose Person) teaches us that we can look at it like a light switch – you are either on or off purpose. It helps to be aware of your status so you can shift gears when necessary during your day
Hopefully these tips will help you stay focused and productive, and will decrease your feelings of overwhelm.
Deb Legge, PhD CRC LMHC
DrLegge@InfluentialTherapist.com
Dr. Legge is known nationally as “The Private Practice Mentor”. Deb helps mental health professionals make more money in private practice and she is licensed to teach Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid® marketing system for service professionals. Her work has been featured by ACA, Counseling Today, AMHCA, ACA-NY, and in her website, InfluentialTherapist.com. For more information about how to get more clients and referrals, download her free Rapid Referrals Report: www.InfluentialTherapist.com/rapid