If we can’t add a 25th hour to the day, how can we manage our time to accommodate the things we want to do besides work?
First, it starts with managing our energy. So many times it is not that we don’t have the time to do the things we want to do but we don’t have the energy. We waste energy by getting upset over and complain about the things we cannot change, we waste energy and time because we are so caught up working in the practice but not on the practice to fine-tune processes and procedures; we also run low on energy because we don’t give our body the sufficient rest and nutrients to perform optimally.
Second, establishing and reinforcing boundaries are important. I always say that a medical practice is a greedy entity that will take and take as long as you are willing to give. There are always more patients who can be served, there is always another clinical article that wants to be read, there are always more research projects that need to be lead – one can put 24 hours in a medical practice and still isn’t finished. Instead, a physician has to become the leader of their life where they establish healthy boundaries for work, for projects, for family, for self, and for rest.