At Dental A Team, we believe thriving practices don’t happen by accident—and neither do thriving lives. As Kiera Dent recently shared on the podcast, the difference between coasting and creating comes down to one key mindset shift: living life and creating a purposeful practice.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a loop—wake up, work, repeat—this blog is your wake-up call. It’s time to ditch autopilot and start living and practicing with intention.

What Does It Mean to Live on Purpose?

Living on purpose means aligning your daily actions with your long-term goals and values—not just surviving your schedule, but designing it.

Think about it: Most of us fill our weeks with “have-tos”—patients, team huddles, bills, dinner, errands. But what if your week could reflect the life you actually want to create?

That’s exactly what we do with Dental A Team clients at our in-person retreats. This year’s theme? Living life on purpose and creating purposeful practices.

The Exercise That Changed Everything: The Life Wheel

Here’s a simple exercise we walked our clients through—and you can try it, too:

1. Define Your Categories

List out the major areas of your life:

Health
Business
Relationships
Family
Finances
Personal Growth
Fun & Fulfillment
Home

Now ask yourself: Are these categories showing up in your week? Are they inspiring you?

2. Rename the Categories to Spark Joy

Instead of “Health,” try: Honoring My Body
Instead of “Business,” try: Passion Project
Instead of “Home To-Dos,” try: Creating Our Love Nest

Use names that make you want to show up.

3. Map It Out Visually

Draw a wheel with a slice for each category. Rank your satisfaction level in each area from 1–10 and shade it in. You’ll quickly see where your life is off balance—and where you need more intention.

Build a Week That Supports Your Purpose

Once your categories are defined and renamed, use them to plan your week.

Ask yourself:

What am I doing this week to grow my wealth genius?
What am I doing for my forever love story?
What am I doing to add sprinkles (aka: FUN)?

Color-code your calendar and make space for all parts of your life—not just work and family.

And here’s the kicker: You have 168 hours every week. Even after sleep and work, you still have over 70 hours left. Use them on purpose.

Why A Purposeful Practice Matters

If you’re living reactively, your practice will too. But when you lead your life intentionally, your team, culture, and results follow suit. That’s what we mean by building a purposeful practice.

Imagine a dental office where:

The leader is energized.
The team is aligned.
The vision is clear.

Start Creating, Not Just Managing

You weren’t meant to just manage life—you were meant to create it. And if you're ready to get out of the “known” and into the fun, creative, and fulfilling “unknown,” Dental A Team is here to help.

Want support implementing this with your team? Schedule A Call.

Let’s create a life and practice you love!

For more tips, don't forget to check out our podcast.

Live Life and Run A Purposeful Practice — Not on Autopilot