Aim, act, attain: making summer goals last past September

Rana Al-Falaki explains how the NAIL-IT model can instil tangibility to help dental professionals turn summer goals into sustainable success.

It’s summer time! After a busy few months, you may be on your last legs and ready for a summer break with the promise of recharge and reset. Yet come September, it all starts again, and the good intentions and renewed promises can become easily forgotten.

But what if the problem isn’t a lack of motivation and desire, but a lack of tangibility?

One dentist in particular, let’s call her Dr FS, had been telling herself all summer: ‘This August will be different.’

She promised to finally take time to reset, to plan her diary better, to get on top of the paperwork and maybe even squeeze in a few pilates classes again. With the practice slightly quieter, her children out of school, and the sun offering a much-needed mood boost, it felt like the perfect moment to breathe and reflect on what needed to change come September.

However, when September arrived, she returned to a schedule of back-to-back patients, kids’ school logistics, and the same nagging feeling that she’s about to start the new season already behind.