You’re Allowed to Ask: “Is This Working for Me?”

You’re Allowed to Ask: “Is This Working for Me?”

You ask hard questions every day for your patients. You evaluate symptoms. You weigh treatment risks. You question what's sustainable and what's not.But when’s the last time you turned that same level of insight inward?

Too many physicians go years, even decades, without ever asking themselves the most important question of all:“Is this working for me?”

Why Doctors Stop Questioning Their Own Reality

In medicine, we’re conditioned to push through. To sacrifice. To put ourselves last.We’re told:

• “This is just the way it is.”

• “Everyone’s tired.”

• “It gets better someday.”

So we stay in patterns that don’t serve us—emotionally, physically, professionally. Until something breaks.

But you don’t need a crisis to justify change. You just need curiosity—and the courage to act on it.

What Asking the Question Can Reveal

When you pause long enough to ask, “Is this working for me?”, you may realize:

• You’re practicing in a way that drains more than it gives

• You’re constantly behind on charts, sleep, and life

• You miss parts of yourself—creativity, peace, joy

• You’ve outgrown the model or environment you’re in

And that realization isn’t selfish—it’s liberating.

The Power of Reassessment

You reassess treatment plans. You change course when patients don’t respond.Why shouldn’t you do the same for yourself?

“Saying ‘this isn’t working’ isn’t giving up—it’s choosing something better.”

📌 Reflection Prompt

Ask yourself:What part of my professional life drains me the most? What part energizes me? What would I change if I believed I had permission to?

Write it down. Sit with it. Let it guide you.

Ready to Explore a New Way Forward?

You don't need to settle. You’re allowed to question—and evolve.

📅 Book a strategy session with Dr. John Hayes Jr., MD Let’s talk about what’s no longer working—and what might work better for you.