There’s a little-known truth about skiing at high speeds: your bindings – the small mechanical clamps that attach your boots to your skis – are everything. Set them too loose, and the skis can fly off mid-run. Set them too tight, and they won’t release when they should, turning a fall into a femur-snapping event.
The right DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) is what keeps you safely connected to your gear while giving you just enough freedom to maneuver.
I’ve been skiing for decades and hadn’t taken a fall in over ten years. I don’t say that to brag – it just matters to the story.
One morning on the slopes, the gondola attendant loaded my skis as usual. When I stepped out and clicked in, my foot didn’t snap quite the way it normally does. Something felt a little different. Not wrong. Just… not quite right. I shrugged it off and started skiing anyway.
As I was halfway down the run my left ski popped off. One second. I was in the zone, carving fast and smooth. The next I was fighting to stay upright while my brain screamed, How the hell does a ski come off with my DIN set that high?
When I retrieved and reclipped in, the ski still didn’t fit quite right. I came to the realization that it wasn’t mine.
Another skier on the mountain had the exact same make and model. Our skis had been swapped. His bindings were set for his size, his weight, and his ability – not mine.
Back at the pro shop we swapped back, laughed it off, and I spent the rest of the day skiing hard without a single issue.
But as I carved down the slopes on my own skis, calibrated exactly for me… it hit me:
This is dentistry.
Dentistry has its own DIN:
Discipline. Intention. Navigation.
Your DIN settings – your habits, priorities, and ability to read the day – determine whether your practice runs smoothly or flies apart under pressure.
D = Discipline
Your foundation. The processes and systems that hold the day in place.
Without discipline, the best gear in the world won’t save a chaotic practice.
I = Intention
Your aim. The clear objective you want to accomplish each day. Intention directs your energy toward meaningful outcomes instead of reacting to whatever flies at you.
N = Navigation
Your adaptability. Your ability to read the terrain, adjust on the fly, see trouble before it hits, and make micro-corrections without losing balance.
Together, these keep you grounded and free at the same time.
Here’s where it gets real:
Often, dentists ski on someone else’s settings.
Someone else’s schedule template.
Someone else’s communication style.
Someone else’s definition of a “productive day.”
Someone else’s expectations that don’t match who they are or how they operate.
The result?
A practice that looks fine from the outside… until the day gets steep and fast. Then the ski pops off.
The Moment You Ignore the “This Feels Off” Signal
That morning, on top of the run, I knew something felt off. I ignored it.
Dentists do this every day.
We feel the energy is off, the room is behind, the vibe is tense, the system isn’t working… and we push off anyway.
That’s when trouble shows up as:
– burnout
– staff issues
– communication breakdowns
– constant reactivity
The better move is simple: Pause. Breathe. Check your DIN.
The Truth
It’s not the mountain that throws you. It’s how you’re set up to ride it.
When your DIN is dialed in, everything flows.
You move through the day with rhythm instead of resistance.
Challenges still come, but they don’t rattle you.
You’re in control without gripping too hard.
You’re free without being loose.
That’s the sweet spot high performers chase… on the slopes, in the chair, and in life.
And this is exactly the direction of my upcoming series: blending dentistry with the adventure, endurance, and lifestyle practices that keep me grounded, fit, and performing at a high level. Next up? What Ironman taught me about running a calm, productive practice.
________
If you’d like to explore applying these and other strategies in your dental practice, email Mark@DentalSimplified.com.
Until next time, lead with clarity, live with purpose, and let your day follow.