On Friday morning January 3rd, 2014, I woke up to the first snowstorm of the year.  Six inches covered the ground and would be a big obstacle for me to get to my 9:30 hot yoga class.  I could feel the resistance that pressed against my covers, but I pushed them off and began my ritual of showering and drinking 72 oz. of water.  Then I checked the web to see if the class was cancelled…Luckily for my bladder, the class was on.

I live in the woods.  The plows never come down my road…it’s dirt and gravel, so I had to mash my way through the snow to get to the class.  When I arrived I was met by four other hearty souls and the teacher.

The reward:  the best hot yoga class ever—and the heat felt sooo good.

That’s usually the payoff for breaking through resistance.

We face resistance everyday of our lives.  We have this preference for comfort and low stress.  Yet, as I always say, “The insecure path is the secure path in the end.”

Just last week I started a complex restorative case involving ten upper teeth.  The case included an implant, several veneers and crowns, and some pink porcelain.  My patient traveled over three hours for the appointment.  I worked slow and methodically to get all of the information required for the case.

I checked the impression and was pleased that I captured every margin.  I placed the temporaries and sent my patient on his way home.  An hour later, my son Josh who is also my lab technician, informed me that I would have to retake the impression.

“Why?”  I asked.

He said although the margins were great, because we would be using refractory dies that the pulls in the non-strategic areas would not allow him to get accurate dies.  I would have to call the patient back for another impression.

I felt resistance.

My patient would have to take another day off from work, drive six more hours, have his temps removed and have another impression…yes,with local anesthesia.

I felt resistance.

I didn’t want to make that call...yet I was the only one who could make that call.

So I did, and he totally understood.  He wants the case to come out as perfect as possible.  I felt better having broken through the resistance.

Everyday, no matter what line of work we are in or no matter what goals we set for ourselves, we will meet resistance.  When you feel that uncomfortable sensation in your gut, that’s resistance.  Telling you to stay put.  In your comfort zone.

Pushing through is the key to success.  So as we begin this new year…if you have made resolutions, realize that you should still being going to the gym in April…and along the way you will feel lots of resistance.