What will success look like? When will you know that this new venture is working well and meeting your goals – be that financial, time, helping your ideal patient? Will it be the first billing of a particular item number specific to your niche?
For me a feeling of success with my vasectomy work was when I was spending 20% of my time with my ideal group – men seeking vasectomy, either discussing and educating or providing vasectomy. It took a good deal of time, focus and work to get there however there are benefits. I can tolerate a lot of midweek GANFYD and declined referral from the big hospital consults with the knowledge that on Friday I have a solida day of procedures, helping couples out and practising a nice moderately technical procedure that I am good at.
So what is success for you? Maybe is is seeing your overall income increase by a certain%. Maybe it is seeing any income that is not from fee for service consulting but is from some one to many work you do – lecturing, downloaded assets you built, consulting to business.
Maybe it is seeing less of the wrong type of patient for you. Don’t fret on this – there is the perfect doctor out there for this patient that does not gel with you, now they are free to find them.
Depending on how granular you desire to be about this goals, some benchmarks or Key Performance Indicators might guide you. Such as the number of your ideal pt in a week, billing a particular item number a certain number of hours in your ideal work. Taking a snapshot of where you are now and where you aim for would help you feel progress is occurring. As we know without a goal we have not direction. By discussing with others we can make this goal real and bring some accountability to the process. Could you be part of a discussion/coffee group that are also working on their niche? This can bring accountability but also mutual support and encouragement.
What is the reward for this aimed for success? The satisfaction of a job well done? That bicycle/clothing/shoes you have been coveting? A special meal or bottle of wine?