This article originally appeared in Dental Assisting Digest e-newsletter. Subscribe to this informative monthly ENL designed specifically for the dental assistant here.
“Never settle for good enough. Push farther."
These were the words uttered by my good friend and awesome dental assisting instructor, Angela Smith, CDA, during a recent Dental Assistant Nation podcast that she recorded with me. She was talking about how she has rediscovered her passion for her own education. With that, she has decided to pursue her masters from the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA). I think that's simply amazing and I give her kudos for taking on this new goal.
Those six words that she said, however, have stuck with me ever since our podcast.
(You should listen to the podcast sometime, by the way. It's Episode 16, less than 15 minutes long, and can be heard here.)
Angela is very matter of fact when she talks and it's one of the things I've always enjoyed about our interactions. When those words came across the airwaves between her home in Virginia and mine in Colorado, I knew the power they contained.
You see, those words don't just pertain to Angela and her education. They should inspire all of us to never think we've reached our final destination in our careers. We should always be looking to be better at what we do and learning every chance we get.
In my lectures, I talk about how a body of water can become stagnant when it stops moving or having new water added to it. Of course, that's an analogy for any of us and our careers … or lives, for that matter. If we sit there and never learn, the world will eventually pass us by. The industry is always introducing new materials, new technology, and new techniques. How are you not only keeping up but keeping ahead of the curve?
We are unofficially knocking on the doorstep of summer and it's always a good season to get away for a little bit and take a deep breath on a vacation. Even if you can't go somewhere, carve out some time in your weekend to just breathe and focus on where you want to be in your career this time next year, and how you're going to get there.
I guarantee you that wherever you want to be and whatever you want to do, it's not going to be handed to you. You're going to have to visualize it and work for it. Having a thought process for your future so you can map it out and make your plans is critical to your success.
Take Angela's words to heart today. Never settle for good enough. Push farther. Be the best you can be, in your career and in your life. We're here to help you at IgniteDA and Dental Assisting Digest. If you need a boost or help figuring out a way to move forward, drop me a line at [email protected]. I'm always glad to be your cheerleader and connect you with resources where I can.
Read on, this is your newsletter ...
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