About two years ago, on a routine dental hygiene appointment/visit, the very experienced RDH of about 25 years or so (maybe more) was asking me a series of questions and making some statements about my oral health…Stuff like; “I can tell when you’ve had significant stress – the cleanings are always more difficult.” Or something to that effect. This comment led her to ask if I had ever used or heard of a water pick. (Yes, I know I spelled it wrong.) In my mind, I’m thinking of a pick that I would use to loosen up clay or very dense soil.

I said, “No.”

She began, in very technical dental language, to explain what this device was and how it would benefit me and that recently, it was getting the press it deserved.

After she got done I said, “So, this water pick, is it like a water-powered vacuum cleaner flusher device?”

“Yeah.”

Hmm.

So I asked, “Why not just tell me that it flushes out the gaps in between teeth like a power washer and the water pressure kinda vacuums it out?”

Hmm…

“Good idea. I’ll use an explanation like that next time.”

As a patient, I was completely confused (takes very little to achieve that in reality). Although, the entire time, I knew what a WaterPik really was, I just wanted to make a point with her, in an amusing way, that the average Joe or Jolleen on the street has no clue idea what a water pick, or Waterpik, is!

Two “take-aways” from this short post:

1) Use words that EVERYONE understands, like CAVITY vs. Decay.

2) EDUCATE your patients every month about dental health and how it relates to them and their long-term health. SEND a newsletter to them each and every month, no matter what time of year or time of month it is. That way, the next time you need to have someone understand what a bridge is (not the one they cross on the way to work), they UNDERSTAND and can get in-synch with you – or at the very least, they will recognize and perhaps remember seeing it somewhere, versus the current problem of thinking it’s like the Bridge Over the River Kwai.

I wish I knew Jim Rohn back when I was in college or even before college. This is profound wisdom and you know it’s so very true. If you are only interested in making a living, then mere formal education is OK.

If you want to make extraordinary income, you have to self-educate. You have to go outside your realm of current comfort and discover something very different.

What’s your favorite Jim Rohn quote?

Normally, I don’t have a problem zonkin’ out at the end of the day and keep my routine intact as often as possible. Sleep experts claim that radical schedules, like the one my dad kept when I was a kid (shift work – it changed every two weeks from swing shift, to day shift to “graveyard” shift and it’ll mess you up bad – I did it one summer and could never quite figure out if I was coming or going), will harm your body in ways you can’t see, but can feel for sure.

When I travel, sleeping that first night is almost always an issue.

I did a couple of things different yesterday:

1.) limited my eating while in the airport and on the plane. I drank water at every chance. No beer or wine.

2.) When I did eat, it was a salad with hot, cooked chicken in a high-volume restaurant. I figured if any salad would be “fresh,” it’d be there.

3.) As I wound down 3 time zones later in my hotel, I kept the TV off, read for 15 minutes, then, turned the heat down, and started counting backwards from 100. This to me, sealed the deal.

I only recall getting to the mid-30s and having to start over again somewhere. I never did make it to 20!

My 5 hours of sleep will do the trick. I’ll re-coup it on the plane on my way back, tonight.

One other bit of info I’ll give you from my friend and Internet Zen Master, Matt Furey: Matt travels back and forth to China. MANY times zones away from his home in Florida. Matt’s a zen guy. He does a lot of mind focus “stuff.” Some I get, some I don’t. What I get, I use. What I don’t get, I try to figure out because it’s interesting to me. He has some great mind tricks he uses to keep his body and mind in prime shape. Whichever way he’s traveling, he always arrives primed and pumped, ready to tackle his new time zone without any adjustment whatsoever. He views traveling as a “rest period,” if memory serves. Jetlag’s not in his dictionary.

Here’s how I guard my time:

- If I don’t recognize the number on caller ID, I don’t answer. Period. You may go so far as to never answer your phone. I know several entrepreneurs that don’t unless it’s a pre-arranged call. Otherwise, it’s an unnecessary interruption and a distraction.

- If I do recognize the number and can’t be interrupted, I ignore it. (Wife included and she knows. If it’s a 911 situation, she rings once, hangs up and calls back.)

- If someone doesn’t call when they are supposed to, within a 10 minute window, I don’t answer. Why? It’ll run over into my other time slot or block of productivity and interfere with something unrelated. It’s not fair, so I let my friends at AT&T handle it with voicemail.

Use these to better manage your life and your time…especially when you’re most vulnerable!

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Later this week, I’m unveiling my Time Management/Peak Productivity System. I’ll have a very, very special initial offer that’ll be good only for seven days. After that the regular price will hit. Also, if you’re a ClearPath Member this System will be included in your membership. Info about ClearPath, here. ClearPath remains one of the best values in business…I challenge you to find a better program anywhere! If you do, I’ll GIFT you a 3-month membership (Then I’ll go kick that other co’s. butt and beat ‘em down!).

It’s called a countdown timer.

Here’s one online you can use: http://www.online-stopwatch.com. It’s free, too.

Set the time, set the clock and get to work. It’s amazing how quickly things get done when there’s a deadline.

You’ll be tempted to use this just once. But, my research indicates you’ll need to embrace it at least 21-times in order for it to become habit forming. And, your brain will respond in kind as it watches the timer count down and provide a much more productive experience.

Do this now. Post your feedback, I love it!

———

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Later this week, I’m unveiling my Time Management/Peak Productivity System. I’ll have a very, very special initial offer that’ll be good only for seven days. After that the regular price will hit. Also, if you’re a ClearPath Member this System will be included in your membership. Info about ClearPath, here. ClearPath remains one of the best values in business…I challenge you to find a better program anywhere! If you do, I’ll GIFT you a 3-month membership (Then I’ll go kick that other co’s. butt and beat ‘em down!).