Do or Do-Do:
7 Steps to Doing
By: Dr. Timothy J. Gay, DC 
As we often do while working, we first think of things that we should be doing to achieve what we have deemed necessary in our lives to meet our goals and expectations. In many cases, there are invisible barriers that we put up and remain complacent towards making the crucial decisions. We wait to the point of creating do-do in our practice and our lives.
Years ago, I learned a saying that I have used throughout life to move things along and not let the barriers or do-do…undo what needed to be done to accomplish and achieve my goals. That saying is simply, “Small problems require small solutions and large problems require large solutions.” Why do we let the small problems fester into large problems before we look for the correct solutions? We wait until we are stepping into do-do before we actually do. Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is the hardest.
Step 1)
Recognize that there is a problem: Whether it is a personal problem, something that has happened out of your control, or a problem in the office, seeing it as a problem that needs to be addressed now is the first step. Over-thinking and not doing anything about the problem is common. Like the bronze statue of “ The Thinker” by Rodin which, by the way, is still sitting in Paris and has been since 1902, is considered the icon of intellectual activity. It is a beautiful statue that has been duplicated both as a symbol and a satire.
Step 2)
Communication: Doctors with the highest communication skills seem to have the most successful practice and the ability to convey a message that people understand and are willing to embrace. Talking to concerned parties and finding an early path will help to defray any escalation of the problem.
Step 3)
Catching the problem early in the process: As a plant grows it changes and morphs into something larger and in some cases very different from its origin. A lion cub at one point is small, unassuming and docile. After the cub reaches a certain point, instincts, size and variables change it to a 450 pound bundle of predatory carnivore. The old saying, “There is an elephant in the kitchen that no one is talking about” rings true. This is the area that we sit in do-do and let the problem continue to grow larger due to inaction.
Step 4)
Creating the strategy: Strategy is another way of saying get off the dime and start looking at ways to make changes. Change is the chasm between fear and the reality of doing. Fear is the overriding factor based on consequence of inaction and the pain that may come from the decision. With the inability to change, we end up in do-do.
Set and establish parameters and goals with realistic timelines.
Step 5)
Implement in increments: The reason behind the fear is the anticipation of overwhelm. Looking at the 3,000 foot vertical rock formation of El Capitan and deciding to make the climb is a formative task that requires tremendous planning and prior training in incremental steps. Breaking down the problem into parts and putting action steps into place makes it easier to do. The most effective way to put things into perspective and get things done is to put them in writing. This will help you develop systems for implementing in increments.
Step 6)
Just Decide: I have this sign in my personal office. Print one up and apply this simple principle. Early decision like early detection, is better than waiting and finding out it is too late and you had the opportunity to do. Instead you are experiencing the do-do effect. If you wait to hear everyone else’s opinion and input about your decision, you will find that most of them will lead you out of a do and implement path into a do-do - just think about it path.
How many times have you asked someone’s opinion and at the end of the conversation you find that you have moved away from your original thought and were taken completely off track, moving you further from your initial goal?
Step 7)
Learn from your mistakes: Caution is important, but calculated risk and some level of organization and planning is important, but not to ad nauseum. If you know you need to do it, plan the action and do it. Do-do has a certain amount of stagnation to it based on the element of time. For example: sour milk or moldy bread.
Let’s say you were given an assignment by your coach or mentor for sure ways to increase your practice. Your coach said that if you simply did what he asked of you, followed his advice, make an immediate decision and follow-through instead of procrastinating, that at the end of the year you could earn an extra 200K, would you do it? The answer then lies within you. If your answer is yes then you are considered a doer. And, if your answer is no, then as the story goes: the wait and see attitude produces nothing and you will continue to look at the horizon of futility waiting for the sun to rise.
If you want to be a doer, make the choice right now. Get active in Chiropractic and start doing. It is without a doubt more of what this profession needs.
Dr. Timothy J. Gay is a thirty-plus year veteran of Chiropractic health and wellness. Dr. Gay is the founder of Ultimate Practice, as well as a national speaker, an author, and has numerous CD and video products for the chiropractic profession. A highly respected and nationally recognized speaker, he holds many seminars around the country on a variety of topics.
Dr. Gay can be reached at
1(866) 797-8366, or e-mail us at ultimatepractice@ultimatepractice.com. For more information on Ultimate Practice, visit their website at www.ultimatepractice.com
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