Happy May.  A new month. New possibilities. A new Mastery In Medicine Monthly Tip.  This month the focus is on the Inner Game of Success. 

As doctors and professionals in healthcare you may be thinking, “I’m already successful.  I have a great career.  I have a profession that other people praise and makes my family proud.”  But, do you sometimes find that to have this great career you live a life of struggle and  sacrifice, dreading the long hours, wishing you didn’t have to miss another family event, and wondering what it would be like to have a normal job with no calls.   Get a group of physicians together and they’ll say they have felt that from time to time.  From time to time it has been true for me.

Medicine is a demanding profession.  Our perception of these demands determines whether we get stuck in complaining mode wishing it were different, or we shift our inner game to see the opportunity to create calm, peace, and even joy through the work we do.  So, what is your inner game?  The inner game is the conversations and thoughts that you are having when no one else is listening, maybe not even yourself.  These thoughts have become so habitual that you don’t even realize their negative impact.  And if they are impacting your career, they are impacting your life.

Here are a few common examples of the things being said that impact the day:

  • Another day at this crazy place.
  • These patients are so demanding.
  • What do you expect, this always happens. 
  • The lab always takes so long to get the results back.

 What are your recurring thoughts? Are you dragging through your day, feeling neutral or may be even numb about the day?  Or do you wake feeling energized and ready to welcome what comes your way?  If you read any personal development book it will tell you that your mindset or your inner game determines your outcome.  Successful people wake up excited about the possibilities of the new day.   Are you excited to see what will unfold today?

Download the Mastery In Medicine Monthly Tip for May to get started.  On the tip sheet I shared three examples of common scenarios that are a source of stress for residents on their rotations.  Read the examples to see how a shift in perspective changes the busy work into learning opportunities.

The exercise for you this week is to begin to master your inner game.

  1. Become the observer of your inner conversations.
  2. Write down the statements that are not serving you? You will know them by the way you feel.
  3. Ask yourself the empowering question, “What can I learn from this?” to begin to shift your perspective.

Then share your experience in the comments section to share the learning.

About Dr. Stephanie Wellington

Dr. Stephanie Wellington is a coach and mentor for physicians and their teams who know they want more from their life and career.  Her passion for teaching and personal development has guided her to compliment her medical career with becoming a certified professional coach. This has given birth to Nurturing MDs, a sacred space where medical professionals embrace life skills and success strategies for a medical career and life they love. Get Instant Access to FREE Mastery In Medicine Monthly Tips and Progress Notes at www.NurturingMDS.com.  Email Stephanie@NurturingMDS.com to schedule a FREE consultation to discover which strategies are best for you.