“Professionals are the architects of their habits. Amateurs are the victims of their habits.” James Clear “Atomic Habits”
It’s a profound statement. Let’s think about that for a moment!
Most of us don’t think much about our habits…
Yet they come in all shapes and forms, can be positive or negative, and exercise broad influence over our lives.
The habits you develop and repeat can either work in your favor, not support you, or even work against you.
Whether you are intentionally designing your life… becoming the architect of your life, or drifting through patterns you never chose, exposing the amateur in you, in the end, it’s about who you become through repetition.
What are Habits?
We all have habits; our lives are filled with them, and it’d be tough to go through life without them.
Because they are the behaviors and routines we use repeatedly, lean on, and rely on.
Some examples include:
- Physical habits: personal hygiene, exercise, diet, sleep, etc.
- Money habits: spending, saving, earning, paying bills, etc.
- Mental/emotional habits: expectations, communication, relationships, etc.
Our habits shape our health, energy, financial stability, emotional resilience, relationships, and even stress levels.
For the most part, they run on autopilot, subconsciously, with no or little thought on our part.
And once established, it doesn’t take much effort to keep them running, freeing up our energy so we can focus on more important things.
Since habits largely shape our lives, it makes sense to choose habits that work for us, not against us, because they determine who we become through repetition.
We want to be intentional with what we do and the habits we adopt.
And while this applies to every person, it’s particularly important for business people, including NP practice owners.
Because professional habits and personal habits are not separate, they feed one another.
Your personal habits don’t stay at home when you see patients at the clinic; they tag along and make themselves known in your business.
Why Habits Matter
Since our lives largely reflect what we repeatedly do, it stands to reason that we need to choose habits rather than fall into them.
For if we fall into a habit instead of creating it, we let life happen to us rather than shaping it.
Granted, frequently we’re not in charge, and life happens, whether we agree or disagree.
Things happen to us that we didn’t intend for, didn’t plan for, and certainly didn’t hope for.
But even though I’m convinced we must focus on creating habits that work for us and move us closer to our goals.
Why Habits Matter in a Small NP Practice
When Nurse Practitioners transition from provider to business owner, something subtle but powerful happens…
Your personal behaviors and habits follow you, and more often than not, they become business systems, some more effective than others…
Your personal habits influence:
- The effectiveness of marketing
- The consistency of revenue
- The stability of cash flow
- The patient experiences
- The morale of your team
- Your own burnout level
- And everything in between…
That’s why it’s essential to be aware of your personal habits if you want to create effective business systems and habits.
But be intentional about creating your business habits. Don’t settle for using old personal habits and behaviors in your practice, which may or may not be up to the job.
The Benefits of Building Intentional Habits
Many business owners, including Nurse Practitioner practice owners, don’t realize they are running on habits that quietly undermine their stability and growth.
For a Nurse Practitioner, it may show up in behaviors like:
- Avoiding monthly Profit & Loss review
- Only marketing when patient volume drops
- Ignoring or delaying follow-up on outstanding balances
- Constantly working in the practice, never on the practice
While none of the above are outright mistakes, collectively they may create instability and limit practice growth.
This is where intentional habit design and creation come into play, because…
1. Habits Reduce Decision Fatigue
As a practice owner, you make hundreds of decisions every day. Clinical decisions. Staffing decisions. Billing decisions. Technology decisions.
But without structured habits, chances are you’re constantly reacting.
But when you create repeatable routines, such as a standing Friday-morning financial review or a weekly staff meeting, you reduce unnecessary mental load.
Instead of wondering when you’ll look at accounts receivable, you do it, or see to it that it gets done. Automatically.
Professionals rely on structure…. Amateurs rely on mood.
2. Habits Create Predictability (Which Creates Profitability)
Here are just a few examples of what predictability looks like:
- Predictable onboarding leads to better patient retention
- Predictable billing practices lead to improved collections
- Predictable marketing leads to a steady flow of patients
Compared to behaviors that tend to create inconsistent outcomes, like:
- Marketing only when the schedule looks light…
- Reviewing financials only when the bank balance is low…
- Setting expectations with staff only after a mistake….
You don’t want to run your practice in reactive mode, but with intention and proactivity.
3. A Small Practice Tends to Magnify Habits
Large organizations tend to dilute the culture, whereas small organizations, like an NP owned Practice, tend to amplify it.
If anything, your staff will mirror your habits and patterns:
- If you avoid financial discussions, they will too.
- If you ignore outstanding A/R, they will too.
- If you prioritize patient experience, they will follow.
Because you are not just creating business habits for yourself, you are also modeling for your staff and creating an operational blueprint.
In Summary…
Your life and practice are built on what you repeat:
- Clinical skill builds credibility
- Habits build sustainability.
If your personal life feels chaotic, it may not need more action; it may simply need more focus and better habits and behaviors.
If your practice feels unpredictable, it may not require more effort; it may simply need better systems.
Remember the quote from “Atomic Habits?”
“Professionals create habits; Amateurs become victims of them.”
So the question isn’t whether you have habits, but is…
Are they intentional?
Tell us what you think about personal habits and business… we want to know. Just leave your comment below – thanks!
By Johanna Hofmann, MBA, MAc., EAMP; regular contributor to the NPBusiness blog and author of “Smart Business Planning for Clinicians.”