Going above and beyond may not always serve you.
Once upon a time, I loved a good challenge. When someone would tell me, "people like you can't succeed in this way," I would say to myself, "challenge accepted!" Then I would work like crazy to prove them wrong. The good news -- I got pretty far in life accepting and overcoming challenges. The bad news -- by the time I became a faculty member, I became challenge-weary. There were more challenges being thrown my way than I had the bandwidth or energy to address. For the longest time, I couldn't see my problem: Living life based on the obstacles people put in your way may give you a short-term adrenaline rush; but because you are living your life by external values, it takes you off course. When I finally figured it out, I started to live differently. I decided what challenges I would accept and walked away from all the others.
As physicians, we love to go above and beyond. Even when it costs us more than we can afford, we go the extra mile. Unfortunately, not everything is worthy of this level of investment. Some of the challenges we accept neither enhance either our careers nor improve our well-being. Even worse, some challenges makes us feel good but distract us from what is most important.
So how do we separate going above and beyond in the right things versus going above and beyond and things that may not make sense?
On the clinician researcher podcast, season 2 Episode 20, we explore the concept of strategic decision-making. In particular, we discuss the following:
Question imbalances: When you are doing the bulk of the work but are not invited to be first author, speak up and ask why. Questioning effort imbalances helps you advocate for yourself so that the work you do is appropriately valued.
Evaluate obligations: In the past, you may have signed up to do tasks that take up a ton of time but do not move you forward. It's time to reassess your commitments. Select the commitments that align with your values and career direction and negotiate out of everything else.
Prioritize tasks: Think about everything you do. Ask yourself, which are the most important? Which ones are least important? Which ones am I doing just to make a mentor happy? Don't give every task equal weight. Every day, choose the top 3 and do these first.
Overlap projects with personal advancement: Every project you work on should advance your career. As you evaluate new opportunities, look for your win. Ask yourself, how can I do this project and also win?
Avoid people-pleasing: If you are working on a project that gives you brownie points with a senior person but does not not advance your career, you may be allowing people-pleasing to derail you. For every project a mentor gives you, sit with them and get clear about how it fits with your overall career goals.
This week, reflect on a project that is draining you. Ask, what is the balance between your investment vs. your benefits? If the math does not work in your favor, redirect your energy towards work that truly advances your career. Share your insights and thoughts on social media using #ClinicianResearcherPodcast.
What if you stopped accepting situations that are win-lose? What if you only do projects where others win and you win too. If you always pursue projects that are win-win, what would your career look like in a year?
🎙️ Are you ready for change?
Are you ready to let go of unrealistic mentoring systems that don't work for you? Are you ready to explore systems especially tailored to clinicians? Are you ready to fulfill the scholarship dreams you had when you first signed up for your career in academic medicine? If the answers to any of these questions is "yes," then "Clinician Researcher Academy" is for you. Interested? Sign up to join the waitlist here.
Please note that if you are a fellow at my institution, your tuition is free. We also offer deeply discounted tuition for all clinical postdoctoral fellows.
🎙️ Sponsor Spotlight
This episode is proudly sponsored by Coag Coach LLC, dedicated to providing coaching resources for clinicians transitioning into research leadership. If you are looking to coach with Dr. Onwuemene, sign up for your discovery call here. You can also join our LinkedIn group: Clinician Researcher to get exclusive updates!
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