When was the last time you asked yourself, “What is most important to me right now?” The most important thing in our live changes frequently. But if we don’t ask the question, we might not be putting our effort where it counts. A big component of burnout is realizing that we have filled our day … Read more
Most people do not like to make a budget. Thus, excuses for why they don’t budget abound. Medical students don’t have an earned income, so they think they don’t need a budget. Residents believe they don’t have time to make a budget. Attendings say they make so much money they don’t need a budget. Each … Read more
When I was 25 years old and in my third year of medical school, I laid out a plan to make me financially secure and able to retire by age 50. I began by calculating an estimate of the monthly income I would need during my retirement years. I then converted that to how big … Read more
Tomorrow many of us will take the day off to celebrate our country’s independence. Thank you to those who report for duty at hospitals around our country making it possible for the majority of physicians to celebrate this special holiday with their families. This year, let’s also celebrate the quest for our own financial independence. … Read more
We have all heard the saying “starting is half done.” I have found that to be true in my life. It is so easy to make a long list of all the things I want to get done, and daily just read the list without making progress toward accomplishing anything on the list. Nothing happens … Read more
Everyone has an idea of what they want their retirement years to be like. But when we finally pull the trigger and retire, we are traversing a new path for the first time. With no prior experience, we are likely to hit some snags. It’s best to learn about these snags from others and not … Read more
This time of year, many physicians are moving and buying new homes. It will likely be their first home. My oldest son bought his first rental house before he even moved out of our house. Then he bought another one shortly before his wedding. After the wedding, he moved into it with his new bride. … Read more
I have often written about the benefits of becoming debt free. In fact, last month I listed 20 good reasons to pay off your home mortgage. Whenever I write about becoming debt free, I get mail informing me that being debt free is a stupid idea. They say things like “I can invest my money … Read more
Work/Life balance is a common desire in the lives of busy professionals. All too often, we feel our job is the cause of the imbalance between our work and our home life. But the reality is our own behaviors are causing the imbalance. It’s not the job’s fault. Which is good news, since it means … Read more
The purpose of vacations is rejuvenation. Very few doctors reach the goal of being completely rejuvenated by the end of their vacation. We work hard for many years and from time to time we need to take a break and recharge our batteries. For a vacation to be effective at rejuvenating us, it needs to … Read more