Just Two Minutes: Be Specific

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

There was a time in my career when I’d sit down Monday morning, look at my to-do list, and feel a weird mix of pride and dread.
Because I had a list. But it looked something like this:

• “Work on systems”

• “Figure out marketing”

• “Be more productive”

• “Hire better”

Honestly? It could’ve just said “try harder” and saved me the ink.

Here’s the thing: most people don’t have a productivity problem.
They have a clarity problem.

We throw around words like “optimize,” “scale,” and “streamline,” but rarely stop to define what the hell we actually mean.
And then we wonder why we’re exhausted by the end of the day, unsure if we made any real progress.

Productivity is not about doing more.
It’s about knowing exactly what needs to be done—and then doing that one thing really well.

If your goals are vague, your days will be too.

One version keeps you busy.
The other moves the needle.

We love to feel productive. But productivity without direction is just motion.
It’s the illusion of progress that burns out your team and buries your business under a pile of “almosts.”

These days, if it’s not specific, it doesn’t go on the list.
Because the only thing worse than doing the wrong thing—is doing it efficiently.

Final Thought:

If your days feel scattered, heavy, or full of motion without momentum, it’s probably not because you’re slacking off.
It’s because you’re chasing clarity you haven’t taken the time to define.

So stop “working on it.”
Start calling your shots.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. If you’re looking for that one magic productivity hack—here it is:
Be obnoxiously specific. That’s it. That’s the tweet.