Cicily’s Prescription for Success

    by Cicily Maton
    During a recent conversation with a colleague, I told him how well my recovery from knee surgery was going. He asked, “What did you do?” I told him my preparation for my medical procedure was not unlike how one might prepare an investment strategy.

    When I made up my mind that I was ready for the knee surgery, I first conducted a bit of research to find out what the operation would entail, how long the procedure would take, and what pain or discomfort to expect during the recovery process. Just as an investor with money to be invested must first find out what to do and how to do it, I did the same sort of preparation for my knee surgery.

    Both investors and potential patients need to identify the best provider of services, and the experts who will best represent their interests. In my case, I identified the ideal place to have the procedure done and the medical team who would perform the operation. I augmented Information from my doctors with research I’d conducted on my own. I then gathered additional information by talking with others who’d undergone the same surgery. With that information in hand, I designed and executed a pre-operative exercise, strengthening, and weight-loss program. 

    In the months prior to the surgery, all of my physical preparation was reinforced by mental preparation. I consciously thought about my mental state and did the things that worked for me to reduce stress. For example, I worked to reduce all of the “to-do’s” on my busy list, and increased my quiet time so I could visualize a positive outcome. As a result, on the day of the surgery not only was I physically ready, I was mentally ready.

    All of the pre-planning, pre-op and post-op work definitely paid off. By following the recommendations of my medical team and performing the exercises suggested as part of the surgery rehab program, my return to the office was faster than I had originally planned. 

    All in all, my recovery has gone better than anticipated. The most important lesson I learned was to listen to my advisors. I focused on the things I could control, and didn’t worry about things that were beyond my control. Through it all, I remained steadfastly focused on the long-term results. Just as investors should.