Hello, I'm Dr. Howard Dennis, your certified high performance coach. We're going through our Charge Sessions, and this is Charge Session #3: COMPETENCE — the first live session of 2026!
Grab your journal and let's learn together.
Our goals today are simple but powerful:
✔ Discover how you engage the drive for competence
✔ Direct you in your most useful areas to apply your competence
✔ Identify where you lack competence — and what you need to learn to grow
Let me take you back to February 1996.
I had just graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic, and I was heading down to the beautiful northeast part of Tennessee to open my practice. I was buying an existing practice and immediately becoming business partners with Dr. Charlie Ward — a master of what we call the Gonstead system of chiropractic.
Dr. Ward had worked with Gonstead himself. He was a fellow in the Gonstead system. I was learning directly from the horse's mouth.
And honestly? It was a little scary.
I had to step up and learn. I had to grow. And when we want to step into that next area and become more, sometimes it can be scary. Sometimes the new habits we need to develop are uncomfortable.
But that's what high performance is all about.
High performance is growing. And when we grow, we learn more. We become more competent. And when we're competent, we become more confident.
Because here's the truth: If we don't feel competent at something, we're not going to be confident enough to try it.
I graduated knowing I had learned a lot — but I also knew I needed to grow. So I was a little shaky in my confidence about buying a new practice and stepping into this new level.
But it was well worth it.
That's when we put on our bravery, our courage, and we learn. Because we've got to choose things to learn to become more.
If we don't develop our knowledge, skills, and abilities, we can't grow in that area. We can't reach high performance.
Three or four weeks ago, we talked about competence in Charge Session #1. If you didn't rate yourself then, no big deal — you can do it now.
Here's the definition of competence. Don't get stuck on the exact words — just give your overall impression:
"I have the knowledge, skills, ability, and wisdom needed to achieve my goals. I'm regularly learning new things that help me progress. I know what I must learn in the coming months to be more successful."
Rate yourself 1-10.
If you rated yourself three or four weeks ago, what would you rate yourself now? Did it go up or down? Why?
If you're just starting today and you've got that journal out, why would you rate your competence at the level you chose?
Now, let's dig deeper. Grab your journal and answer these questions:
For me, it's certified high performance coaching — that's what we're doing today. Also, 30 years as a chiropractor . And weight training — I've always loved training with weights and exercise.
What about you? What do you have your highest competence in?
It's practice. Sometimes it's going to school. Sometimes it's taking courses. How did you develop that over the years? How many years did it take?
Think about it. What are the three pieces of advice you'd share about why you're so competent in that area of expertise?
What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you need to learn to become more?
Maybe it's speaking. Maybe you need to learn how to become a better speaker — take some paid courses, join a speaking group.
Maybe it's learning to weave, knit, or something else.
It's amazing what we can do with the internet now to grow ourselves.
Who do you need to reach out to get better? What monthly goal do you need to set to gain the competence you need?
To become that speaker. That writer. That coach. That better husband, wife, father, mother.
I'm making 2026 a time to grow, and there are some things that are very uncomfortable that I'm going to be doing.
One of them? I'm going to become smarter with my money.
I'm going to put it in places that grow better than just putting it in the bank or a savings account.
I need to learn how to do that. There's one thing called IBC — Infinite Banking Concept — and it's about becoming your own banker. Nelson Nash has a great book on that. You can get it on Audible too.
It's no gimmick. It's nothing magic. It's just being smarter with our money.
There are some other goals I have too.
What's your big goal for January?
Write that goal down. Take action today and step into January in action, in forward motion .
If you need to get in forward motion and write these goals down, think of 2026 as this first quarter .
Box out January, February, March. Write down three things — a theme for each month of what you're going to go for. Stick with it. Learn what you need to learn to be more competent.
And then the confidence grows.
If you'd like some help working this out, I want to give you a FREE 5-Step Clarity Blueprint .
This simple, powerful tool will help you get clear about your goals and take action in 2026.
Text "CLARITY" to 423-460-9757 and we'll send you that FREE 5-Step Clarity Blueprint right away.
Let's go forward in 2026 in a better way.
Once again, Dr. Howard Dennis, your certified high performance coach.
Go out there and be more today.