RDH Community Connection: Change is the catalyst for dental hygienists to evolve
I was reading a powerful book titled The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life., and a quote stood out to me: “The single best way to build your willpower is to voluntarily put yourself into conditions of discomfort.”1 Someone’s willingness to achieve a goal or dream shines through in times of discomfort.
This quote made me think about how many professionals wish their careers were different. But are these people willing to embrace change? Create action by stepping out of their comfort zones to try something different? Take a huge leap that may feel like a giant risk but could lead to possibility?
Wanting change and actively pursuing it are two very different concepts. One study that evaluated behavioral change goals as predictors for volitional personality change confirmed that simply wanting to change is not sufficient to bring forth trait changes; rather, completing challenges or performing action predicted change over time.2 As dental professionals, change is something that we must all become familiar with if we’re to achieve growth. Whether change is in the operatory, in education, or in one’s personal career path, it’s the catalyst for evolution.
Do something you’ve never done before
How much potential do you think is lost by people who want to remain comfortable? I’m not shining a spotlight on me; however, I’m going to speak to what can happen on the other side of comfort and coming into one’s true potential.
A few years ago, I left an office where I was comfortable, working alongside coworkers I loved like family. It was a place where I cared for patients I’d gotten to know on a personal level. I worked three days a week, I was compensated well, and I had an employer-matched 401(k). I left this stability to work for a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) because I was becoming a complacent hygienist. That was the thing I feared most in my career. The FQHC setting could not have been more opposite, but it forced me to feel uncomfortable and I knew I needed to change.
Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” That single career move that my colleagues were shocked I made catapulted me into constant change and striving for growth. Since then, I attended RDH Evolution and Under One Roof, where I didn’t know a single soul, yet I was set on making changes in my career, even if it meant living outside my comfort zone.
From there, I moved states and left a comfortable life that reflected years of hard work and tight friendships, all to follow a little voice that told me to keep embracing change. Following this change, I leapt into a role as a part-time educator and consultant while scaling back on my role as a full-time clinician. I share these details to show that complacency could have worked, but my potential to educate, write, and speak flourished on the other side of what felt like jumping off a cliff. My guiding force was listening to my internal voice and following my intuition.
Transitioning toward the future
We often think our intuition is the opposite of rational thinking, however, studies suggest that the “gut feeling” inspires leaders to make a call, especially when that decision is risky.3 Hygienists have incredible intuition when it comes to patient care. No one knows our patients better than we do and I can almost guarantee that you’ve encountered gut feelings about things regarding your treatment recommendations.
I challenge you to lean into those same gut feelings about your career and listen to what it’s telling you. Does something need to change in your practice that could elevate the standard of care? Are you yearning for more community but don’t know where to start? Do you have a voice you want to share with others?
Whatever it may be, your potential is waiting for you to tap into it. I encourage every hygienist to take a firm look at where they are and then find ways they can actively embrace change. The younger version of you that was fearlessly ambitious will thank you.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the July 2024 print edition of RDH magazine. Dental hygienists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
References
1. Sharma R. The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. HarperCollins. January 7, 2020.
2. Hudson NW, Briley DA, Chopik WJ, Derringer J. You have to follow through: attaining behavioral change goals predicts volitional personality change. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2019;117(4):839-857. doi:10.1037/pspp0000221
3. Huang L. When it’s OK to trust your gut on a big decision. Harvard Business Review. October 22, 2019. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://hbr.org/2019/10/when-its-ok-to-trust-your-gut-on-a-big-decision?registration=success
