As I reflect on last year, I ask myself, “How did I grow?” Allow me to ask you the same thing: How did you grow? What did you do differently to create a better career? What can you do differently now? What opportunities are available to you to grow as a dental professional?
I confess there were many years during which I just existed. It was the same old, same old every day. I was a busy mom, wife, and dental assistant. There was never any time for me. I had so much to take care of, I didn’t see the value in taking the time to create a better dental assistant within me. It took a while, but I finally realized the better my professional life was, the better my personal life would be.
Want more from your career? Here are ways to do it!
Think about education: Look for opportunities to become an expanded functions assistant, to get your certification from DANB, or to become an oral surgery assistant by taking the Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification exam (DAANC).
Join a local study club, or better yet, start one! If there isn’t a space already available for you to join to learn and grow, create one. If you’re looking for ways to branch out, I promise you, others are looking for the same thing. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, there’s power in numbers. It is so true!
Expand your credentials: Are you a member of Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)? Do you have any certifications through them? What else does DANB offer that will allow you to grow? Does your state offer any expanded functions? If so, what are they? Does your doctor use them? Do you know whether your state offers any expanded functions? Find out at danb.org. Go to the “search by state” tab, find your state, and check it out. There is so much more you can do for yourself!
Set some goals: Set goals for yourself, not just professionally, but personally as well. You don’t have to be fancy; just jot down things like what you’d like to accomplish, things you want to buy, where you want your career to go. Make some goals easy and some more challenging. They can be as easy as cleaning out a closet and reorganizing your garage, or something more challenging such as purchasing a new home or car. You want to create a wide range of goals. Achieving your goals will motivate you and help spring you forward to even more goals. So, don’t underestimate setting and accomplishing goals; they give you wings!
Change your attitude: Before any changes can occur, you must change your mind about your capabilities. Trust me when I say that you can do so much more than you realize. The biggest thing I had to get over was myself. For the longest time, I didn’t have much confidence in myself, and I had the mindset that I couldn’t accomplish much, mainly because I didn’t believe in myself.
I finally learned to turn potential into progress. Life isn’t a race, it’s a journey. Dreams aren’t meant to be reached overnight; they take time. Don’t beat yourself up because you don’t reach a goal in the time frame you set for yourself. There are so many potential roadblocks along the way. But each one of them is there to help you, teach you, and prepare you for the next one.
You may be like I was for many years—simply existing. And that’s OK! Life is full of seasons. Raising a family, working full time, and managing a household is a huge responsibility. If that’s your season right now, take a look at your future and see what might be available to you when you’re ready to move into your next season, the season of growth. There is so much out there for you to explore. I hope you accept the challenge and take the leap!
