We are continuing to unpack ways in which to begin enjoying the joy in the journey of medicine as we work toward our goals. We have already discussed awareness and expectations & acceptance  -  this week we are focusing on intentionality - scheduling, mindful presence, and alignment. I implore you to look through a self-compassionate lens on this week's topic. Don't allow your inner critic to beat you up. Look for one or two small tweaks you can make and build consistency...

We are on the quest to uncover your personalized way to best enjoy the journey of medicine. Last week, I introduced the concept of a multi-pronged approach and covered the initial step – awareness. Today, we start with expectations (and acceptance). 

Expectations can be tricky.

I used to joke as my husband completely renovated two houses over 8-11 years each: "low expectations equals high satisfaction.” In reality, what worked for me as I cooked on a butane...

We are on a blog journey about finding and creating joy along our paths in medicine. Last week, we defined joy for the purposes of this blog - at two levels - a broader affective state and a momentary emotion. This week, I want to turn our attention to awareness - where wonderful things start to find their way under our agency. Awareness of the Trap, the Current Joys, the Gap, and Possibility of finding joy in the journey. 

The Trap. Let's recap and take a deeper dive into...

For my new blog series, I am tackling how to enjoy the journey of medicine. Many greater philosophers, leaders, and authors than me have taken on the expansive subject. So, I find myself questioning my ambitious quest to assist readers in this manner, especially divorced from personal coaching. However, the one thing I have learned after over 3 years of weekly blogs is I need to write about what weighs on my mind.  

And currently, that is how to shift to finding pleasure...

Confidence is a beautiful thing. Over the past few weeks, we reviewed the typical way one gains confidence - growing competence over time by gaining experience. We also covered common saboteurs – perfectionism, the inner critic, impostor phenomenon, comparison, external validation, and projected judgment along with steps to combat them. And now, we are looking at ways to improve confidence further. 

The growth mindset is the basis of overcoming those previous sappers...

We are in week 3 of a 4-week series on confidence. The first week we reviewed the normal development of confidence and last week, we reviewed a trio of issues that interfere with gaining confidence and actually often unjustly decrease confidence. This week we look at three more common interrupters – comparison, external validation, and projected judgment.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” has been attributed to a few famous leaders. Regardless of who said it, it is so...

Last week we looked at the natural progression of confidence. However, we all know confidence doesn't always follow the expected course, and often even when it's high, something knocks it down. So, this week, we look at why that happens.

There are at least six common saboteurs of confidence. 1. Maladaptive perfectionism. 2. An overly boisterous inner critic.  3. Impostor Phenomenon. 4. Comparison. 5. Over-reliance on external validation. 6. Projected Judgment. Many of...

We all have areas we are more confident in than other areas of our lives. It's natural. Overcoming insecurities is a powerful thing that takes dedication and trust. In the coming weeks, we will uncover the issues that get in the way of this process and open a dialogue about having self-confidence when doing something new. Today we dig into the typical process of growing in confidence.

Merriam-Webster gives the essential definition of confidence as "a feeling or belief that you...

This week we conclude the series of a more robust understanding of resiliency in medicine. This week we turn our attention to early warning systems and a couple of unique and cool components. 

For the past two weeks, we looked at your resources – what you have and what you need that is within your control or influence (this includes the organizational responsibility in this process), and the usage of those resources – the intentionally placed, the...

This week we continue the series on a fuller understanding of resiliency in medicine. Last week, we looked at your resources (including what your organization supplies)– what you have and what you need that is within your control or influence and when to adjust. Today, we will look at the usage of those resources – the intentionally placed, the over-committed, and the waste.

We will continue using the model of a dam provided by Dr. Kemia Sarraf of...