Using your practice to get your social needs met is expensive.

Shooting the breeze (because you think you can since the next patient isn’t scheduled for another 20 minutes), reduces your capacity to help more people.

Indulging in this behavior “fills the vacuum the universe abhors” cited by Aristotle.

By taking matters into your own hands with the chit-chat, small talk, and inconsequential observations, you’ve filled the void yourself. Which you have every right to do—it’s your practice.

If you are unable to resist this all-too common urge you won’t get condemnation from me or judgment from patients.

But you should probably stop torturing yourself about wanting to grow your practice. Which requires the discipline to appropriately use the time between patients effectively.

Compute your income during your busiest hour. And divide by 60. That’s what your one-minute joke or amusing anecdote costs you.

Hope it’s a good one!

Bill Esteb, a passionate chiropractic advocate since 1981, brings a fresh perspective to the profession as Patient Media’s creative director and co-founder of Perfect Patients. With 12 insightful books examining the doctor-patient relationship, he inspires chiropractors worldwide as a chiropractic speaker, through HeadSpace Coaching, and consulting. His weekly Monday Morning Motivation, emailed to over 10,000 subscribers since 1999, continues to spark breakthroughs across the chiropractic community.

Email Bill