The Best of Both Worlds
How many times have you been to a course or meeting and received some information that you promised yourself to use as soon as you got back to the office? But days turn into weeks, and it isn't long before the whole idea is forgotten. There is no doubt that the longer we procrastinate, the harder it is to implement an idea.
With the first flush of emotion comes a higher adrenalin level that makes us more alert, more educable, more eager for change. Emotion can be a wonderful initiator of change, but emotion is a perishable commodity with a life span inversely related to the time removed from the stimulus. The best of both worlds would be to combine emotional energy with cool, calm intellect for evaluation and implementation.
One device that might help is a loose-leaf notebook where ideas can be stored. You can take your idea book to courses and meetings and write notes to yourself. The trick is to set aside a particular time every few weeks to review your good ideas. Unhurried times such as Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon--when no one is in the office and the phone isn't likely to ring--work best for me. Then I can look back at my notes, my professional journals, my cassettes, until I rediscover those ideas that excited me. You might likewise be stimulated to action by such a second opportunity, and finally make those changes that promise better service for your patients and greater efficiency for you and your staff.
