Sell at a Premium, Not Out of Desperation

Every New Year seems to start off with resolutions to make changes in our personal lives or our businesses. I am sure that 2024 will be no different. The world has changed a lot for all of us over the last few years, and those changes are not without some positivity. Encouragingly, many dentists and laboratories that I interact with today seem quite busy. For myself, emerging from 2020 and beginning 2021 initially seemed rather daunting. Now, beginning 2024, I am pleased that after much perseverance from my clinical partners and the dental industry, business is progressing and many of my colleagues are thriving. My own laboratory, no different from any other business, faced challenges throughout and following the pandemic. The dental field, however, has not slowed down. My supportive team and I have dedicated many hours trying to keep up, all to benefit our work and continue the success of the laboratory. When we are working long hours, or perhaps returning from a holiday break to full desks and calendars, the prospect of new and further challenges is at times overwhelming. Yet it seems to me that at this time, when we are at our busiest or most overwhelmed, we should regroup and begin to focus on our next plan.

I personally have found that my best decisions are made under pressure, when I am at my most busy. Sometimes, it is the thought of being overwhelmed that pushes me to find confidence in my work and drives me toward success. As the new year begins, we are likely all searching for a new motivation or mindset for success for the year. Perhaps at this time, however, you may find yourself at the bottom of the mountain, feeling eager but overwhelmed by the challenges that lay ahead. At these times, when feelings of doubt creep in, worries about finances or workflow may hinder our progress. The external circumstances of the workflow of business or changing prices can be daunting and can affect the way in which we make important decisions. I have found that when work is flowing in and I am extremely busy, it is easier to feel more confident and thus make my best decisions. Yet, as in business and in life, there is an ebb and flow, and as mountaineer Jon Krakauer has said, "It's not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong." In the moments when we feel most daunted, looking ahead to a new year of challenges; it's the confidence to tackle those challenges that forces us to stand up, think clearly, and refresh our mindset for success.