The Doctor’s Schedule “Hack” for More Work-Life Balance

In this article I will show you a push-button shortcut you can use to quickly create more work-life balance, no matter how busy your practice and your life feel at the moment.

When it comes to creating balance between your medical career and your life, there is a simple rule in play. The strongest structure wins. When we are talking about how you spend your time, that structure is your calendar or schedule.

Most busy doctors carry just one calendar/schedule with them at all times. Usually that calendar only has your work and call schedule on it. If that is true for you, work wins. Your life will continue to be out of balance until you create a structure to defend your life priorities.

Reality check: Take a look right now on your phone or in your briefcase or purse. What calendar are you carrying? Does your life outside of medicine appear on your calendar? Let's fix that.

The key to creating balance is to have your life calendar with you at all times as well. Now most doctors are hesitant to put everything on one calendar or learn a new phone app or computer program to set this up. Let me show you a schedule hack that takes just a single push of a button you already know how to use.

If you are like most doctors, you actually do have a life calendar. It is often a print calendar that hangs on the refrigerator at home. It is where your children's schedules and your vacations are recorded.

Here's how to perform the hack and the magic word it allows you to say.

1. Set a regular time to update that calendar with everyone's schedule-your children, your spouse and your life schedule. Put everything on it.

   · Date nights with your significant other

   · Alone time with your kids

   · Your workouts

   · Vacations

   · Time blocked off for scheduled spontaneity

If you want to have something in your life ... put it on this calendar.

2.  Make sure it is accurate from today to about 2 months in the future and update it a minimum of twice a month. You don’t have to learn any new technology. You may want to use several different pen colors for the different activities.
 
Ready for the hack? Take your cell phone out and snap a picture of the latest calendar. Presto. Now you have your life calendar with you at all times. You can pinch that photo to enlarge any given day and see exactly what is on your life schedule.

Get ready for some balance because here's where the magic comes in.

The next time you are in the office and someone says, "Hey, can you take call next Thursday night?" you can say, "Hang on a second," pull out your cell phone, and check your schedule. If you have something already scheduled, you can look that person in the eye and say in full integrity, "I am so sorry, I have a prior engagement. I won't be able to help out."

Without your life calendar, you are very likely to say "yes" to that request because your programming will tell you that you have nothing else better to do. With your calendar right there in your phone, you have the ability to perform the single most important life balancing activity--the clean and honest use of the word "no." 

Now it's your turn. I encourage you to take this on in your life: 

   · Create your life calendar

   · Update it regularly

   · Put everything on it

   · Carry it with you at all times

   · Practice saying "no" in front of the mirror until you are comfortable

   · Enjoy the balance this creates

Please leave a comment on your experience with this "hack."

Dike Drummond is a family physician and executive coach providing stress management and burnout prevention services to doctors and other healthcare professionals at  his site, TheHappyMD.com