We are in a series on finding and cultivating joy in the journey of medicine and avoiding the arrival fallacy. This week are on to the next approach: Perspective. I lump several strategies under this category - gratefulness, practical positive cognitive psychology, growth mindset, and self-compassion. 

I, along with many others, have written, taught, and coached on all these topics, so I suspect they are not new to you. However, let’s harness these approaches to find...

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...