NORMALLY, WHEN I SIT DOWN to write this letter each issue, I have a million ideas and figuring out how to fit them all in 300 words is a challenge.
That wasn’t the case this time.
This month, I struggled with inspiration and creativity and I beat myself up about it (I also, no doubt, drove my fantastic designers nuts procrastinating on handing this last page in.) Eventually, I just figured I’d write about exactly that: the lack of inspiration.
It is certainly something we all struggle with upon occasion. Whether you’re in a “creative” field — like writing and editing are generally considered — or running an eyecare business, periodic bouts of creative voids are inevitable. I think that’s one of the reasons INVISION is so popular; we provide out of the box ideas to help ECPs get out of their ruts. But it wasn’t exactly helping me get out of mine.
Now, this sort of thing isn’t uncommon for me at this time of year. My muse always tends to desert me right before Expo time … It’s like the tank needs to be empty in order to be filled up again. Until then I am running on fumes.
Luckily, if you’re feeling like me right about now, this issue should help you.
Struggling with your more management focused duties? Turn to the Big Story on page 36 for 16 ways to win over your employees. Have some hard decisions to make and don’t know where to start? Why not take a swing from one of our decision trees on page 49? Just generally feeling burned out? Cruise by Dr. Danielle Richardson’s column on page 57.
When I’m feeling this way, I like to remind myself it’s only temporary. What about you? Drop me a line and let me know what you like to do when you’re feeling uninspired. I’m always looking for new ideas.
Best wishes for your business,
Dee Carroll
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
dee@invisionmag.com
Five Great Tips From This Issue You Can Try Today
- Want to better serve the patients in need in your area? Essilor’s got the lenses covered. (Manager’s To-Do, page 18)
- The number of people with visual impairment and blindness will double in the U.S. in the next 30 years. Are you up-to-date on ways to help them? (Better Vision, page 30)
- Business cards are not obsolete tech. We’ve got ways to get them out there. (Tip Sheet, page 54)
- Looking for a way to handle cold calling reps? Download this form. (Columns, page 60)
- Need suggestions for some new networking groups? Well, your peers have plenty of ideas. (Do You or Don’t You, page 67)