Instead of trying to read 21 books last month, I focused on 1-- Top Dog, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. I recommend it highly-- it highlights a lot of recent discoveries in the areas of psychology and neurobiology that pertain to achieving success and peak performance. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed I didn't read more books-- but I did take some important steps forward in some other areas, including:
-Exercise: I found a workout partner (a new intern, Justin Grant) who also happens to have a Crossfit Gym in his garage. For each of the past 4 Mondays, I completed a glorious 1-hour Crossfit workout with him. I'm particularly focusing on weekly deadlifts and squats, in addition to the workout of the day. I've committed to working out with him every Monday at a minimum, as well as doing a workout either by myself or with him on each Thursday or Friday. I will continue to play Ultimate Frisbee most weekends, as I have for the past year. This brings my exercise routine closer in line with the Primal Blueprint workout plan (below). I have committed to sticking with this routine for at least the next year.
-Exercise: I found a workout partner (a new intern, Justin Grant) who also happens to have a Crossfit Gym in his garage. For each of the past 4 Mondays, I completed a glorious 1-hour Crossfit workout with him. I'm particularly focusing on weekly deadlifts and squats, in addition to the workout of the day. I've committed to working out with him every Monday at a minimum, as well as doing a workout either by myself or with him on each Thursday or Friday. I will continue to play Ultimate Frisbee most weekends, as I have for the past year. This brings my exercise routine closer in line with the Primal Blueprint workout plan (below). I have committed to sticking with this routine for at least the next year.
-Finances: Mindy and I started talking with a financial advisor this month. He just gave us a great overview of disability and life insurance yesterday, which we will especially need in about a year. We plan to continue to take steps towards our long-term financial goals over the coming months.
-Wedding planning: My invitation list is almost finalized, and Mindy has done a great job of getting everything ready for the big day, which is now only 3 months and 1 day away! We also went to our first counseling session, which we hope to continue over the next three months, although it has been a challenge to find time to fit it into our schedules. In addition, we started looking into dance classes, which should be a lot of fun, as well as a bike for Mindy (my wedding present). And by the way, the honeymoon is all planned, too!
As the above areas illustrate, the last month was a great example of how I can't just focus on one thing for a whole month-- multiple areas of life need constant attention, especially in the areas of health, finances, career, relationships, and the intellect. The key is to keep making progress in those areas, set attainable but meaningful goals, and not spread yourself too thin.
As I look forward to the next month, I see opportunity in the following areas:
-Professional contacts- Next weekend, Dr Stringfield, Brandon Alleman (a second-year resident), and I will be attending a Direct Primary Care conference in Kansas City. I hope to make some good contacts that will be of benefit to me as I look forward to starting (or joining) a Direct Primary Care practice in the next few years.
-Post-residency plans- Mindy and I would like to do some traveling around the US as well as some mission work to a Spanish-speaking country after I graduate. Of course, we also are hoping to start to figure out where we're going to settle when we get back, so I'll be following leads in that area as well.
-Residency education- I have recently begun the process of starting a couple residency working groups with Dr. Stringfield, Brandon Alleman, and Andrew Wong-- a Direct Primary Care working group and a Central Line Credentialing working group. We envision the Direct Primary Care project as having residents taking care of a small patient panel in a manner similar to AtlasMD, with use of their EMR, 24/7 physician access via email, phone, and text, 30-60 minute appointments, wholesale medications, wholesale labs, and same-day or next-day appointments. We envision the Central Line Credentialing working group making progress toward fully credentialing interested residents in placing central lines. Just yesterday, I made a lot of progress toward that goal by placing 3 peripherally-inserted central catheters with the IV team, with whom we are working closely. Andrew Wong and I will hopefully soon be the first Via Christi residents fully credentialed to independently place central lines.
-Finances- Mindy and I hope to start implementing portions of our financial plan over the coming weeks and months. I'm also getting back into moonlighting after a several-month hiatus, which always helps the bottom line.
-Exercise- Now that I'm getting used to biweekly weightlifting workouts as well as weekly Ultimate Frisbee, I'm planning to start doing yoga every Wednesday, sprints every weekend in addition to Ultimate Frisbee, and evening walks with Mindy most days a week.
So although the month of July does not have the intense focus of prior months, perhaps I can sum up my goals as a quest for balanced progress in the five areas of professional contacts, future plans, residency education, finances, and exercise. The challenge will be to not to become spread too thin, to stay thick in those areas, to maintain enough drive to keep the progress up.
At this halfway point of the year, I'm looking back and realizing I've never made as much progress in my life as I have in the past six months. I attribute most of that to the goals I set in December and the external motivating force that this blog represents. I encourage you all to do something similar in your own lives-- to take some time and find a few areas in which you really want to grow, and harness your passive social network into a motivating force. You'll be surprised by how much you learn!
