Since having Theo in 2016, it seems I need to take stock and rebalance things in my life on a regular basis. Partly because young kids and their needs change so darn fast. Partly because I can get too wrapped into my work to-do list and begin sacrificing things that are important, like exercise and sleep. Or seasonal changes disrupt my prior routines (daylight savings and the return of foggy or rainy seasons being classic examples). Partly because responsibilities and projects at work change, and require reconfiguration based on new iterations of standing meetings or role responsibilities. Ideally, I’d be rebalancing before accepting new responsibilities, but that’s a goal to work towards in the future.

I encourage you to consider what your needs are for rebalancing and blocking off time on your schedule for a reset and, if you need it, for setting goals. In an academic medical center, potential times to schedule a reset are June (before new trainees arrive), September (when things start kicking it up a notch and start of a new financial year), and December/January (start of a new calendar year).

I feel very strongly that there is not one way to do things and be productive. You need to experiment with what does and does not work for you in this particular season of life. In fellowship, I used extensive methods for keeping accountable to my productivity goals, which was a level of organization and planning that most colleagues told me was overwhelming - and in retrospect, I agree. But it worked at that time.

Now I use a simpler method of settling weekly small goals prioritized by what's important (to me as a whole person, for getting/keeping a job or getting promoted). I’ve particularly appreciated this approach in moments of overwhelm because I now can quickly re-articulate priorities not by what is most demanded by others but what's most important to me as a person (values) and as a person that needs to be paid (small business priorities).

I’m happy to share various documents & methods that I’ve used over the years to keep accountable to my productivity goals if you email me.