| Are
You Going Through the "Changes?"
Is
there life after career? This admittedly, is one of
the biggest issues facing today’s doctors, and
other health care professionals. Let’s face
it: anybody who has been in a private practice or
a healthcare career ten years or more will tell you,
almost invariably, that their perception of practice
and their personal role in its has changed dramatically
over what it once was even a few short years ago.
Some of this naturally is just a shift in various
attitudes as we age, but in my opinion some of this
also is deeply rooted in the numerous challenges that
we are faced with, with ever increasing frequency.
It wasn’t that long ago that health care professionals,
indeed most professionals, chose one career pathway,
and simply stayed on that very same path for forty
years or more. Some just retired from work entirely.
 And
no doubt, some of you reading this right now have
never even thought about retirement or a life after
work or practice. Perhaps you are new to this, and
the concept of doing something totally different with
your life seems very distant, not necessarily a priority.
But, the fact of the matter is the vast majority of
doctors and other health care professionals are 30
years old or more before they even start to glimpse
financial security. Many of us are now, or will be
even older than 30 by time we reach that same point
due to the rising price of education, not to mention
costs associated with starting a private practice.
For most of us, the years spent from 30 to 45 or 50
are spent raising families, as well as paying down
physical, emotional, and financial debt that’s
left over from early in our careers.
Now
add to this unforeseen circumstances such as those
associated with work, living the lifestyle you and
your significant others imagined as students, the
natural physical and emotional changes of getting
older, a significant illness or disability of yourself,
spouse or close family member, unforeseen divorce,
and the ever evolving practice landscape… I
call this collection of life circumstances health
care professionals face simply, the “changes”.
Well,
I hope you see where I am going here. Are you going
through the “changes”? Somehow, years
have passed since graduation and life isn’t
quite what you had imagined.
One
of the major consequences of this, that I see every
day in consulting, are people in their early 30s to
mid 50s who have a very difficult time producing the
fun and fulfillment in their practice that not too
long ago seemed natural and easy. Indeed, these are
the major issues that led to the development of the
Perfect Practice Platform™.
And
it's also why I have for years advocated that caregivers
play hard and often, work and practice on their own
terms, while simultaneously finding out precisely
what’s right for them, RIGHT NOW. This includes
professional practice structure, lifestyle, finances,
and most especially personal and professional fulfillment.
I can also tell you that those who study and implement
the Platform concepts have accepted and dealt with
the “changes” in a far more effective
manner than those who resist, assume the world is
still the same, or simply dig in their heels and refuse
to believe that the playing field as well as the rule
book is radically different than it was even a few
short years ago.
But there’s way more to it.
For many of us who chose a healthcare pathway, our
entire identities are wrapped up in our careers or
private practice.* This is a well-known fact. This
is also why we’re sometimes blind sided by the
future. There are certain personality profiles and
early life experiences that drive us to become who
and what we are as caregivers today. This is certainly
not all bad. However, those who fail to recognize
this are also the same people that have a very difficult
time adapting and dealing with the “changes.”
This is one of the core issues upon which our company
Perfect Practice Web was founded.
There
is also another very significant issue here. That
is that most of us are living far more active lives
and longer in years than our parents, and certainly
our grandparents.
The
acclaimed author of “Too Young To Retire -101
Ways To Start The Rest of Your Life,” Howard
Stone, (who joined us in Miami in October 2007) correctly
calls these the bonus years. For many of us, the bonus
years could last 30 to 40 years or perhaps even longer!
Sadly, too many health care professionals are among
the worst in planning for their bonus years. This
quite frankly is due to the attitudes and perceptions
about the “changes” we have just discussed.
With all this said, I have some practical suggestions.
Number One. Recognize, that the pace
of the “changes” you will deal with does
not slowdown, and if anything will accelerate.
 Number
Two: Strive to develop a comprehensive game
plan, on an on-going basis for the rest of your life.
Start where you are right now.
Use
the concepts and philosophies of “practicing
on your own terms” as the facilitative tools
they were designed to be.
This
can be done from any point your career, the earlier
the better.
Number
Three: Identify attitudes and perceptions
about money that may be blocking your accumulation
pathway. Seriously, failure to thoroughly explore
these issues is inviting certain disaster.
Number
Four: Recognize the value of interacting
with other like-minded people such as our membership
on a regular basis. Quite often, personal growth is
accelerated when you’re fully immersed in quiet
reading and study, but especially while attending
Teleseminars, “Breakthrough Sessions”
and most especially mastermind and live events.
Number Five: Seriously consider working
with Howard Stone and myself in early 2008 as we present
together, “On your own terms – Transitioning
for fun profit and fulfillment life and work”.
Shortly, we will have more details, and will be jointly
hosting a focus group for you on this exciting interactive
program designed exclusively for health care professionals
that could literally save you years of stress and
many thousands of dollars.
Number
Six: Enjoy the process of self-discovery
and personal growth. Remember, you are part of one
of the most gifted groups of human beings to ever
walk the earth. Enjoy your patients. Love your families.
But above all, plan now to live life to its fullest,
at any age, every day!
We
invite you to join us on our blog
for continued discussion of these principles.
*Tip:
If you have never read Melody Beattie’s work
on codependency and healthcare professionals, you
owe it to yourself to do so.
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