Define Your Values to Create Your Ideal Life a Physician

Your values are integral to your identity. They are a very personal and multifaceted set of foundational qualities that have the power to provide a guiding light, leading you towards a life that feels in harmony with your true and ideal self. While they are a fundamental aspect of the complex person that you are, external pressures, social circumstances, and even inertia mean that it’s common to live out of sync with your values. But once you give your values a name, the way forward becomes far more clear.

Most of the time we can distill our core values into a set of five or six concepts that give our life meaning and purpose. In this article I’ll guide you through a simple exercise that can help you to get clarity on your own values. From there, you may begin to see patterns of alignment, or perhaps misalignment, in your life.

Through this process of awareness, you’ll find that your decisions become more clear. You’ll begin to feel the confidence to say “yes” to the opportunities that serve your higher purpose. You’ll find a way to energetically reach towards the next foothold, even when it’s challenging. And you’ll feel more certain when you say “no” to those choices that are not the right fit.

First, Define Your Values

The first step is to define your values. This might seem a little contrived, because you may feel as if you know yourself well enough to understand what matters to you. But putting a name to your values, and seeing them written out in black and white, can be surprisingly enlightening. For the purposes of this exercise, a value is a single word that encompasses an idea or belief in a certain way of being in the world. I’ve created a list of values for you to get started with. You can find them here.

Go through the list and circle the values that speak most strongly to you. Don’t overthink it. Your values may change over time, and that’s completely normal. There are no right or wrong, or good or bad, answers.

Once you have circled your top values, write them out. Take a good look at what you have written and see if you can narrow them down into five groups. From there, discover what themes emerge. These are your core values.

Next, Put Your Values into Action

Now, thinking about your core values, consider how you might choose to elevate these values in your daily life. Don’t try to make sweeping changes. Instead, think of small actions or choices that might more completely align your values with your life.

If there is a big disconnect between your values and your life, it might be time to reconsider your path. It is often challenging to get a handle on these ideas and put them into practice. If so, a physician coach can be a great ally. Through coaching, you will generate greater self-awareness and discover options and opportunities that more completely align with your unique set of values.

If you’re not ready for coaching, but want some clarity, consider downloading my free Values Workbook. It’s free when you sign up for my newsletter.

An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in January , 2023.

If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary introductory meeting with me, click the link below.

Setting SMART Goals: A Guide for Physicians

If you’re a physician, you’re no stranger to goal setting. You wouldn’t have gotten to where you are now without setting some very specific and actionable goals.

But once you’ve made it through your training, landed a position in your specialty, and begun the process of living your own life, your goal setting muscle may have atrophied a little. What’s more, no matter where you are now and where you might want to be in the future, there’s no longer a prescribed set of steps to get you there.

If you seek growth or change, creating the map is up to you. Unlike the well-worn trail you may have followed in the past, the direction you will take is based on your own unique talents, interests, and visions. As Joseph Campbell warned, in his book The Power of Myth, “If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's.” And starting this adventure begins with setting goals.

Choosing, planning, and carrying out your own goals can feel daunting. Whether professional, financial, personal, physical, or even spiritual, it can all seem like a lot. Where to start? And what can you expect along the way? As with so many other life skills, it’s likely that no one ever taught you how to set goals.

Fortunately, there’s a template that you can follow that breaks the goal-setting process down into clear and accessible parts. Innovators and movers in the business world have been using this tool for years, and it’s something that can work for physicians as well. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of setting SMART goals that matter to you.

Defining and setting your goals will pave the way for your ultimate success. For instance, a study of medical students undergoing a surgical clerkship found that those who set clear and specific skill-related goals were more likely to get the outcomes they desired than those who just hoped for the best.  And goal setting may also reduce your cognitive load, meaning that you have exert less mental effort to get the work done.

Writing out your goals by hand is more likely to ensure that you stick to the process compared to typing them into a document or entering them into an app.

Give yourself an uninterrupted stretch of time to really think through the goals that you want to set, and the outcomes you hope to achieve. And then map it out using the SMART template. You may be surprised by what you’re able to achieve, and by what you discover about yourself along the way.

Specific

Get as specific as possible about your goal. As author Jack Canfield puts it, “vague goals produce vague results.”   Define your goal clearly and succinctly. It should be something that you can describe in one to two sentences.  

To make it clearer and more engaging, phrase your goal in positive terminology.  This has the added benefit of making it more likely that you’ll get it done. For example, instead of deciding you want to get out of an unhappy work environment, you might reframe this to a desire to get into a more fulfilling position.

Measurable

You should be able to objectively track your progress, whether that’s a checklist, a habit tracker, a set of numbers, or anything else that gives you a way to measure your efforts towards the goal.

Achievable

Choosing a realistic goal that is within your control is important, since you want to set yourself up for success. Choose a goal that requires a moderate stretch, but that you know is achievable.

The magic of the process is that once you reach that goal, other possibilities that are currently out of reach may open up. In the words of writer Joseph Campbell, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”

Relevant

Get in touch with your core values and ask yourself how this goal aligns with your personal vision. The goal should matter to you, not just to your friends, family, or administrators. It’s great if the goal will make everyone happy, but if it’s not your own, you’ll be less likely to commit to it.

Time-Bound

Unless you set a deadline, or a series of deadlines, you may find it hard to get started. That’s just human nature. When you set and commit to a target date, you’ll be more likely to bring your goal to fruition.

Once you’ve identified your goal, break it down into “micro goals” that you can complete within a very short period of time. This progress of completing will help propel you forward, keeping the momentum going.

Don’t forget to celebrate your wins, even the small ones. Calling a friend, going out for dinner, savoring a cookie, listening to music, or even taking a walk are all ways to honor the effort that you’re putting into the process.

Goal setting is naturally tied to effective use of your time. Looking at a big goal can seem daunting, but simply devoting ten to fifteen minutes several days per week can move you forward.

If you struggle with time management, I have a number of articles available on the website that may be helpful. They focus on issues that are specifically relevant to physicians and medical practice. If you’re looking for more guidance, my Four Week Focus Shift course is a self-guided way to find focus for the goals that matter. I also offer 3 and 6 month Time Management coaching packages for physicians.

DISCLAIMER: As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the website, for which I am grateful! Please do your own research before making any important decisions.

If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary introductory meeting with me, click the link below.

References

Campbell, J., & Moyers, B. (2011). The Power of Myth. Anchor.

Doran, G.T. (1981) There’s a SMART Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. Journal of Management Review, 70, 35-36.

Etkin, J. (2019). Time in relation to goals. Current Opinion in Psychology, 26, 32–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.013

Gardner, A. K., Diesen, D. L., Hogg, D. C., & Huerta, S. (2016). The impact of goal setting and goal orientation on performance during a clerkship surgical skills training program. ˜the œAmerican Journal of Surgery, 211(2), 321–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.07.028

Locke, Edwin & Latham, Gary. (2002). Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35Year Odyssey. American Psychologist. 57. 705-717. 10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705.

Nebel, S., Schneider, S., Schledjewski, J., & Rey, G. D. (2016). Goal-Setting in educational video games. Simulation & Gaming, 48(1), 98–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878116680869

Oscarsson M, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Rozental A. A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLoS One. 2020 Dec 9;15(12):e0234097. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234097. PMID: 33296385; PMCID: PMC7725288.

Van Der Weel, F. R., & Van Der Meer, A. L. H. (2024). Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945