From September 11, 2015
- To thrive and not just
survive, I must consider what health, balance, and success mean to me and
prioritize that. However, the work-life scale is dynamic and is naturally
heavier on either side sometimes. I must also remember to re-assess all of this
periodically, because those meanings can shift as I change over my life.
- Acknowledging the inevitability of imperfection can help me deal proactively with failure. Even better is non-judgmental self-assessment of the causes of that failure, followed by gap analysis and goal-setting to improve in the future.
- After I fail in some way, I will feel way worse for longer if I used a shortcut or did not do my best before failing. Note that this is true even if my shortcut or lapse didn’t cause the failure. If I did my best in preparation and execution, then my mind will not be so plagued after failure with regrets and self-doubt.
- Recognizing that life has highs and lows (and medicine has high highs and low lows) can reduce the pain of failure and let me have a more temperate temperament. Great achievements and dismal failures will inevitably happen, and they will both pass.
- Talking with other people, experiencing their empathy, and hearing their stories of mistakes can alleviate the severity and duration of the crippling pain of failure. If I am lucky (or proactively ask), I might even get ideas about how to avoid such mistakes myself. I don’t have time to experience every failure, so I must experience most vicariously. By extension, I should latch on to people who have experience and know what they’re doing to absorb as many delicious life lessons, tips, and tricks as I can.
- I have so many resources for support and advice. (And I probably will wherever I go.) I must not wait to go use these resources if I'm struggling. Honest self-assessment of weakness is itself my greatest strength as a learner and doctor, and so I should act on it quickly and efficiently.
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