The Golden 90 Days: Your Practice's Secret Season for Real Change

Here's what I see happening in practices right now.

September rolls around, and there's this palpable energy shift. The summer holidays are done, kids are back at school, and your team returns with that post-break clarity. Ideas that seemed impossible in July suddenly feel achievable. There's a collective "right, let's do this" moment that ripples through practices everywhere.

But here's the thing most principals miss: you've got exactly 90 days to harness this energy before it all gets swallowed up by Christmas parties, year-end chaos, and the inevitable January slump. I call this window the "Golden 90 Days" – and it's the most significant opportunity you'll get all year to move your practice forward.

Why These 90 Days Matter More Than Any Other

Think about it. Right now, you've got something precious: momentum without the baggage. Your team isn't dealing with the post-Christmas blues or the dark, depressing January weather that makes even the simplest changes feel mountainous. They're not mentally checked out planning summer holidays or dealing with back-to-school stress.

This is your clear run. From now until December 12th – that magical date when Christmas parties start kicking in and everyone's focus shifts to festivities – you have an uninterrupted window where real, lasting change can happen.

I've seen practices transform during this period. Not just improve, but genuinely transform their culture, their systems, their entire way of working. And I've also watched principals completely waste this opportunity, getting caught up in the daily grind instead of seizing the moment.

The Principal's Dilemma (And Why You're Not As Time-Poor As You Think)

Let me call out something I see in almost every practice I work with. You tell me you're time-poor, that you can't possibly take on another project or initiative. But then I watch you spend 20 minutes discussing the new dental chair catalogue, get involved in a staff scheduling dispute that your practice manager should handle, or personally chase up that one difficult patient's payment plan.

Here's what's really happening: you're not time-poor, you're priority-poor. You're clinically brilliant – I've never met a dental principal who wasn't – but you're trying to manage everything instead of leading the things that matter.

These Golden 90 Days are your chance to flip that script.

The Power of the 90-Day Sprint

Forget the grand annual plans that gather dust by February. Forget the overwhelming practice development programmes that try to fix everything at once. What works is this: pick one thing that will genuinely move your practice toward where you want to be in 12 months, and sprint hard for 90 days.

Maybe it's finally implementing that morning huddle system that creates the team connection you've been craving. Maybe it's establishing clear patient communication protocols that reduce the daily firefighting. Perhaps it's setting up the systems that let you step back from the day-to-day operations and actually lead your practice.

The magic isn't in the complexity – it's in the focus and the timing.

Your Golden 90 Days Game Plan

Here's how to make this window count:

Week 1: Choose Your One Thing
Look at where you want your practice to be by next September. What's the single biggest barrier between here and there? That's your focus. Not three things, not five priorities – one thing that, if you nailed it, would make everything else easier.

Weeks 2-12: Sprint with Structure
Break that one big thing into weekly milestones. Get your team involved – they're returning with fresh energy too, remember? Create simple check-ins, celebrate small wins, and keep the momentum building.

Week 13: Lock it in Before December 12th
This is crucial. Whatever change you're implementing needs to become "how we do things here" before the Christmas disruption hits. Otherwise, you'll return in January to find it's disappeared.

The December 12th Deadline

Why December 12th specifically? Because I've watched it happen year after year. Once the Christmas parties start, once the festive spirit takes hold, your team's attention naturally shifts. That's just human nature. But it means any change initiative that isn't fully embedded by then will struggle to survive the seasonal break.

Use this deadline as your friend. It creates urgency without panic, focus without overwhelm.

Don't Wait for Perfect

Here's what I know after years of working with dental principals: you'll never feel ready. There will always be a clinical case that needs your attention, a staff issue to resolve, or a supplier meeting to attend.

But right now, in these Golden 90 Days, you have something special. Your team is energised, your practice has momentum, and there's a clear runway ahead. The question isn't whether you have time – it's whether you'll use the time you have to actually lead your practice forward.

The choice is yours. You can let these 90 days slip by in the usual busy-ness, or you can use them to create the practice – and the professional life – you actually want.

The golden window is open. What are you going to do with it?

Ready to Make Your Golden 90 Days Count?

This is exactly the kind of focused, structured approach I use when working with dental principals. I help you identify that one crucial thing that will move your practice forward, then we build a 90-day sprint that actually gets it done.

I only ever work with 12 clients at a time because this approach needs proper attention and support. Right now, I have 3 openings for the next 90 days.

If you're tired of another year slipping by without real progress, book a complimentary 90 Day Roadmap Session with me. We'll chat about what's going on in your practice, where you want to get to, and if I think I can help you get there, we can talk about working together.

The Golden 90 Days start now. Don't waste them.