I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
When building a profitable practice, you will need help and you can’t be afraid to ask. Struggles and obstacles are part of life that everyone deals with at some point or another. I vividly remember my early struggles with getting my footing, and finding and implementing systems in my practice to increase my efficiency. I wonder how I could see all these patients and build a busy consult service, all while improving access to acute inpatient rehabilitation. Some people know the benefits of asking for help, yet others hold themselves back and suffer silently. Whether you are struggling in your professional or personal life, not asking for the help you need can be detrimental to your success. I’m glad I had the courage to ask my rehabilitation liaisons and Director of Business Development for help. I asked them to educate me on ways to effectively navigate the politics of the hospital, and to introduce me to key stakeholders responsible for post-acute discharge setting placement. This help equipped me with the knowledge to begin building relationships, which led to changing patient outcomes and improving an entire community’s quality of life.
Here are three reasons why you may be afraid to ask for help:
1. Your pride stands in the way. People who are independent by nature, tend to struggle when it comes to asking
for help when they really need it, because they believe they should do everything themselves. Often this can become a detriment to them and others around them who are dependent on them. I count myself as one of these people. Thankfully, humility allowed me to change. While independence is a great trait to have, the pride that comes with it can get in the way of getting things accomplished promptly. It may take you twice as long to solve a problem than it would if you asked for help. It may be honorable to be independent, however, you may be hurting yourself more than you realize when you let pride stand in the way.
2. Fear of rejection. The fear of rejection is a big reason people don’t ask others for help when they need it. These people are so wrapped up in their concern that they convince themselves that everyone will say no to whatever they ask. So, it’s better not to ask in the first place. I hate rejection and it definitely held me back at times from asking for help when I needed it. By not asking for help because you believe the other person will reject you, you tell them you do not think they care enough to help. This shows an insecurity that will keep you from accomplishing your goals and keep others from connecting with you on a closer level. In hindsight, I realized I was also very insecure.
3. Fear of being exposed as an imposter. Imposter syndrome is a phrase used to describe people who go through their lives doing what needs to be done, all the while feeling they will be exposed as a fraud. They may be having success, but they think it is more luck than any real skill or knowledge that has gotten them there thus far. And it has only been recently that I can truly say I have gotten past my feelings of impostor syndrome. It was a long and hard journey to get to the point where I can look myself in the mirror and finally feel like I belong and deserve all that I have accomplished. This fear of feeling like an impostor can grow to a point where it is difficult to ask others for help, because you feel that you may be exposed. This fear can have detrimental effects on a person’s personal and professional life, because they cannot ask others for help. This fear can be debilitating and stunt your growth.
Overall, when you get into a situation where you need help, but hesitate, you may be experiencing one of the above reasons. Overcoming these fears and insecurities can help you move into the life you have always wanted for yourself. Another way to overcome fear is to seek out coaching or mentorship. Sometimes an unbiased opinion from someone who has been through a similar journey and succeeded can remove all the fear you may have.
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A lot of times, we don’t ask for help because we are striving for perfection and trying to do it all ourselves. Check out our blog post here for tips on letting go of perfectionism.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com
