POWERFUL PRACTICES FEATURE ARTICLES

USING YOUR PEAKS AND VALLEYS AT WORK AND IN LIFE
By Berni Ireland

In his amazing book “Peaks and Valleys”, Spencer Johnson, MD teaches us a great lesson for life that can also be utilized in our chiropractic practices.

Spencer Johnson states “peaks and valleys are an opposite”.  So, if we look at what we did that put us in a valley and then we do just the opposite, we get the opposite results!
Charles Tremendous Jones described life as a pendulum swinging from one side to the other creating learning’s along the way.There will always be peaks and valleys in our lives and in our work.  It is how we harmonize them that makes the difference between just surviving or being successful (you can define success in YOUR own terms).
It’s up to us how we manage our ‘Peaks and Valleys’.   The term I use to describe this is “pendulism”, where we have a choice to live on a pendulum in harmony with our soul.  This pendulum can sometimes swing wildly and that is where we need to put into practice Spencer Johnson’s teachings on ‘Peaks and Valleys’ – making good and bad times work for you.
If we survey the valley in our practices we might see:

• Lower new client numbers
• Drop in client retention
• No team harmony
• Frowns

How can we climb out of the valley?  We do the opposite.

CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE.

• SMILE
• Be grateful for the new clients you have and ask for referrals
• Inspire your clients to continue their full schedules and be their role model
• Celebrate and reward your clients
• Get your team onside by reviewing your Purpose, Vision & Mission (PVM) - maybe even re-writing your PVM
• Create clear lines of communication where every team member knows where to turn
• Conduct in-house promotions and have fun to uplift your team and clients
• Read and learn from the Peaks and Valleys book by Spencer Johnson.

When you are in the Valley, times can be quiet, so do the opposite:  MAKE NOISE. Celebrate every tiny achievement, celebrate every learning. Show gratitude, show gratitude and show gratitude! Speak up and ask for referrals.  Why not play inspiring songs loudly to help you climb the peak.
A powerful tool for you and your practice is to make a list with your team of your peak performance strategies and DO THEM. Make a list of your Valley performances and DO THE OPPOSITE!

Spencer Johnson gives a powerful summary below:

MANAGE YOUR GOOD AND BAD TIMES:

Make Reality Your Friend

Whether you are temporarily up on a Peak or down in a Valley, ask yourself: What is the truth in this situation?

TO GET OUT OF A VALLEY SOONER:

Find and Use the Good Hidden in a Bad Time

Relax, knowing that Valleys end. Do the opposite of what put you in the Valley. Get outside of yourself: be of more service at work and more loving in life. Avoid comparisons. Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad time, and use it soon to your advantage.

TO STAY ON A PEAK LONGER:

Appreciate and Manage Your Good Times Wisely

Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep making things better. Do more for others. Save resources for your upcoming Valleys.

TO GET TO YOUR NEXT PEAK:

Follow Your Sensible Vision

Imagine yourself enjoying a better future in such specific, believable detail, that you soon enjoy doing what takes you there.

TO HELP PEOPLE:

Share It With Others!

Help people make good and bad times work for them, too.

Berni Ireland CCA lives Chiropractic. Berni is a Mentor, Coach and Principal CA Tutor for The Centre for Powerful Practices. You hear of awesome Chiropractic Assistants who have an unstoppable passion.  Berni surely fits into this dynamic group and is a leader and inspiration to the Chiropractic community.

Berni has had great success in helping her clients transform their lives and create their dream practices. She has also become renowned for her transformational work in Life Coaching. Berni lives with her husband Michael on the Gold Coast Queensland Australia.