2018 was quite a transformational year filled with lessons upon lessons. There were many things that went well, along with some that didn’t exactly pan out the way I envisioned. Through it all though, I have no complaints because everything worked out for my good.
So let’s start off by looking at what went well last year. Where do I even start?!
Ok, here goes… In 2018, I:
- Lessened my locum hospitalist shifts to eight shifts a month
- Moved from Indiana to Texas to enjoy the warmer weather and reside in a state without income tax (double the benefits, double the pleasure)
- Graduated from coach training and became a certified life coach
- Completed my master financial coach training with Dave Ramsey and became a certified financial coach
- Collaborated with a mastermind to help me grow my coaching business
- Joined physician Facebook groups which gave me the opportunity to spend time with like-minded women in medicine
- Made friends with women I met on social media and nurtured those relationships offline
- Started my blog, www.mdworklifebalance.com, and blogged consistently
- Contributed blog posts to KevinMD on numerous occasions. What an honor!
- Was featured on a podcast for the very first time. Shout out to Dr. Errin Weisman!
- Created a free PDF guide on how to go from burnt out to living a balanced life
- Attended most of my kids field trips and school events
- Bought my first rental property
- Traveled to Canada with my children to see Niagara falls (it was so much fun!)
- Explored Texas, including Galveston and San Antonio (currently loving life in Dallas)
- Witnessed my kids make a smooth and successful transition to their new school
- Got to do more play dates
- Started hosting Facebook Live sessions every Friday
- Found a new church in Dallas, which my family and I love
- Joined toastmasters, which helped me to feel more confident in my public speaking (shout out to Mckinney Motivators)
- Worked with dynamic, awesome women in medicine as my coaching clients
- Finally got into the position where I could drop my kids off and pick them up from school
Now let’s move on to what did not go so well in 2018:
- My Texas medical license took much longer to obtain than anticipated
- I was not aware of what being an entrepreneur entails before I became one
Thankfully, what went well in 2018 far outweighs what did not. Now that I’ve assessed both sides, I will reflect on the lessons learned from my past experiences to help me in mapping out a better future.
Here is what 2018 taught me:
- Having an emergency fund is a must. It has kept me secure and financially stable while I was waiting for my Texas medical license so that I could begin work in my new location
- Multiple streams of income and side gigs are essential. I was able to rely on my coaching business while waiting to obtain my Texas Medical License
- Real estate investing is one of the fastest ways to build wealth
- Social media is a tool that can enhance your life if you use it wisely; and remember, social media friends are people too
- Having financial matters in order is the way to create flexibility and freedom in your life
- Burning yourself out will not allow you to thrive. Protect your #1 asset: YOURSELF!
- The magic happens outside of your comfort zone. By joining Toastmasters and doing Facebook live sessions, I have become more comfortable with public speaking
- Give yourself permission to go for the gold
- Stop worrying about what other people think of you
- Getting things done is better than getting things done perfectly. My new aim is progress, not perfection
- Written goals are key to being successful. A dream without an execution plan or timeline is just a wish
- Being of service creates a sense of joy
- Having boundaries allows you to unapologetically be more of yourself and to do more for yourself, all while avoiding being taken advantage of
- Feelings come from thoughts, so choose thoughts wisely
So why write all of this out? Well, in life, it’s important to realize this: there are things that go your way, and things that will not go the way that you intend. No matter which way life goes, there are lessons to be learned. Now I encourage you to think about what worked last year, what did not work, and what you learned from your experiences that you can apply to your future.
Let’s use these learning lessons to make this year better than the last!
PS: I help physicians get out of debt, and live wealthy lives. Does that sound of interest to you? If yes click link to book a free 60 minute coaching consultation.
