Self-doubt is commonly experienced among people, but it’s a hindrance to growth and success. Especially in the healthcare space, confidence is key when working with patients and getting them to comply and adhere to prescriptions. The eye care space is no different, so learning how to overcome self-doubt can be a springboard into success in your optometry office. One EyePromise® partner, Kurt T. Steele, OD, figured out how to quell his inner critic and trade it for confidence and practice success.

Establish Goals

As with most success journeys, you must set goals to help you determine if you’re moving in the right direction. The process begins with an analysis of the current state and a determination of the end goal. Once you know that, determine what steps it will take for you to reach your final goal. These “mini goals” along the way to your main goal are milestones, and they are incredibly helpful for keeping the progress moving forward. Celebrating the milestones along the way with your staff helps keep the focus on growth and maintain motivation throughout the practice.

Emphasize Positivity

After some self-reflection, Dr. Steele identified one of the biggest anchors holding him back: negativity. Negativity is one of the quickest ways to derail success because it keeps you from seeing growth. If you’re always focused on the “bad,” it’s hard to see the “good.” Negativity is also contagious, so if you tend to point out the negatives in a situation, your staff may learn to do the same. Furthermore, you could be inadvertently killing office morale with a negative mindset.

Negativity isn’t easy to overcome. Start by not being so hard on yourself or others; we’re all human, and mistakes are human nature. Find a way to view mistakes and other negative occurrences in a more positive way, and you may be surprised at the good that comes your way.

Change Failures Into Learnings

Following this line of thinking, maintaining a perspective that mistakes and failures are learning opportunities can keep the success train moving in the right direction. Dr. Steele said that fear of failure can lead to missed opportunities, stagnation, lack of growth, and low self-esteem, which can create a vicious cycle and hinder success even further. Errors are bound to happen, but it’s your response to them that can change the outcome.

Now, it’s time for some self-reflection. How do you react to mistakes or inconveniences in your practice? If you’re unhappy with your recollection, you can start to address it by saying the phrase What have we learned? It may take time for your staff to catch on, but soon, errors won’t be feared, and you may notice a change in your office culture as a result. Dr. Steele also suggested finding a mentor, as someone who has “been there, done that” can help you fast track your success.

The Nutritional Partnership That Emboldens Your Journey to Confidence

For many eye care practitioners (ECPs), prescribing nutraceuticals can be daunting as they’re often seen as “optional” by patients. However, EyePromise® partners with ECPs in a more comprehensive way, offering the industry-leading nutritional program designed to accelerate practice growth known as the Zea Performance System™.

The Diagnostic

EyePromise offers the Zx Pro™ macular pigment optical density (MPOD) measurement device, which provides a portable, fast, intuitive, and direct measurement. The Zx Pro is designed using trusted, accurate, and repeatable technology to provide patients with a numerical value to represent their MPOD, an easy-to-understand risk factor for numerous eye and overall health issues like:

• Blue light damage
• Night driving or day glare challenges
• Cognitive issues
• Age-related eye health concerns
• Visual challenges related to blood sugar control

This diagnostic tool helps you to identify those who need or may benefit from supplementation.

The Therapeutic

EyePromise offers the most comprehensive line of clinically backed nutraceuticals to meet the largest variety of patient needs. From age 4 to 104 and everything in between, EyePromise has an expertly crafted formulation to support their specific health needs, supporting patients with:

• Age-related eye health issues
• Eye health related to blood sugar control
• Occasional dry eye
• Visual performance
• Screen time
• Dietary restrictions
• General health and wellness

The entire EyePromise line of nutraceuticals is NSF Contents Tested and Certified, with select products going even further to earn NSF Certified for Sport®. EyePromise nutraceuticals are backed by a 60-day, money back, satisfaction guarantee and a 6-month, MPOD increase guarantee, making it a risk-free endeavor for you and your patients.

The Adherence Tool

EyePromise is guaranteed to increase MPOD in 6 months, but how can you ensure your patients are adhering to your prescription? The EyePromise Auto Refill Program (ARP) can help. Delivering four times better compliance for those enrolled, this subscription-based program helps to set patients up for success with automatic shipments of their EyePromise prescriptions. With deliveries every three months, patients need to receive just 2 shipments before reaching their six-month retest. Additionally, the ARP is accompanied with emails that help further education and remind patients to take their daily dose of EyePromise.

Tracking Progress

As mentioned, patients prescribed EyePromise should be scheduled for a 6-month follow-up where you retest their MPOD using the Zx Pro. With its straightforward numerical value, you can easily tell if your patients have improved. This retest helps patients gain a view into their eye health journey and opens a conversation in compliance should the results fall short.

Moving past self-doubt can be a difficult journey, but applying the above can help you quiet it and rise to your true potential. Finding the right practice partners, whether they’re nutritional or a mentor, can accelerate this process.