by Dr. Ray Foxworth, FICC, MCS-P
With the beginning of the year comes the feeling of having a fresh slate; a new start. It can and should be a time for new beginnings. So how do you stay focused on the road ahead while still balancing everything that life is throwing at you? Usually people do not accomplish their resolutions or goals for two reasons: they don’t know what to do, or they don’t know how to do it. Here are three tips that I have found helpful.
Keep it simple. A list of 25 goals only invites stress and chaos into your life. Take a few minutes to determine 2-3 goals for each area of your life: Family, Financial, Spiritual, Physical/Health, Social, and Educational. Evaluate the list and pick the one from each category that you feel the strongest about. It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the others in the list. You are making a conscious decision to focus on this goal in this area of your life.
Shoot for the moon. Don’t undervalue your goals by thinking “I can’t” before you take your first step. If your heart’s desire is to run the Boston Marathon, then write it down. Decide if this is something that you actually want to do or something that just sounds good. If the only physical exercise you did in 2015 was walking across campus to class, then start by walking for 30 minutes each day for the first two weeks and steadily increase the amount of time by 5-10 minutes in two-week increments. Make the Boston Marathon your long-term goal and completing a 5K a short-term goal.
Review your goals daily. Place your goals next to the bed and review them before you fall asleep at night and first thing each morning. The more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you are to accomplish them. There will be times when your “self-talk” will turn negative. Just remind yourself how much you have accomplished and keep moving forward.
Ten years ago, I had a goal to establish a small network in Mississippi that would allow my colleagues and me to offer affordable care to our patients without running afoul of the law. In 2016, that network is celebrating its 8th year in business, has grown to over 3,000 providers in 50 states, has helped over half a million patients enjoy access to affordable chiropractic care, and has donated over $650,000 to support the chiropractic profession.
I say this to remind you that your goals may change over time. As you keep reviewing your goals, you will make small adjustments here and there. It may take more or less time to achieve certain goals. Over time my goals changed as my company grew, and I made revisions. I still review my goals on a regular basis to make sure they are on track, and that I am on track! Today, I am taking the steps to reach my 3, 5 and 10 year goals. Keep reviewing your goals, making revisions, and this time next year you might be surprised by what you accomplished.
Dr. Ray Foxworth is the founder and President of ChiroHealthUSA. Since its inception in 2007, ChiroHealthUSA has donated over $650,000 to help support state associations, COCSA, F4CP and the CCGPP. Dr. Foxworth recently announced the ChiroHealthUSA Foxworth Family Chiropractic Scholarship. Beginning in 2016, one student annually will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship and the students Chiropractic College will receive a donation of $10,000. To learn more and apply, go to www.chusascholar.com.
▶︎ 
Why is the Discount Challenge prize amount $15,024? Because that is the average “per-occurrence” fine for Medicare inducements. That’s not $15,024 per patient, that’s not per provider, that’s PER VISIT. Stinks, doesn’t it? To us, the prize amount is worth the investment if we can help our profession better understand proper discounting.