Dental Management Consultant Stresses More Vacations

As a Dental Management Consultant, I understand that time off is a must for dentists, not just a luxury. When you are on burned out, your enthusiasm and diagnosis is non-existent. Your energy is so low, you now feel you deserve a break. If you have waited so long for a vacation and you can’t remember the one you took, you are on burned out and not contributing 100%.

Dentistry is a physical and mental challenge. To have a solid 35-year career with fully-funded retirement, you need a break away from the office every six weeks. The purpose of time away from the practice is to renew and revitalize.

If you have allowed yourself few vacations, you think vacations must be expensive and memorable. Thus, the idea of eight weeks off a year sounds like an exorbitant expense. Because of children’s school, spousal job or activities, it may not be a full on away vacation. It can be a staycation participating in your own community. You may want to ask yourself who might need some help the week that you decide to get away from the office.

My husband is an architect for a large firm with a three-week vacation policy. As a dentist, I take 10 weeks off and enjoy time with my horse, lessons, and shows. I understand the paradigm shift from vacations being a reward for working hard to now, my vacations are preparation for excellent work.

The point is to be away from your regular routine. You can stay home and one important rule is, “Do not go to the office to work, catch up, or fix something.” You must plan something completely different like a cooking class, exercise week, or local hikes. As a Dental Management consultant I tell my clients that continuing education is NOT a vacation.

In David McCullough’s book The Wright Brothers, he noted the brothers intense enthusiasm for determining successful flight took six days a week but they always did something completely different on Sunday and stayed away from conversations about work, reading or preparing for work.

You will produce more in less time if you take time off and return refreshed. To find out how to apply this to your life, go to www.blatchford.com or call (866) 977-4600.