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Define your goals

First, you need to decide what your work-life balance looks like

Ask yourself (adapted from this Forbes article):

  • What gives me energy and engages me? How often am I doing those things?
  • If I could spend 2 extra hours a day, what would I do with those hours?
  • What are 3-5 things I need in my life to be happy and healthy (e.g. dinner with family most nights, exercise, sleep 8 hours) – what can I do to ensure these?
  • Ten years from now, if I looked back at my current work life balance, would I have any regrets?
Now write your personal mission statement and goals
  • Work goals: projects and publications, positions, promotions
    • Once your big long-term work goals are set, lay out specific accomplishments to help meet those goals (research projects, manuscripts, grant applications, committee work, leadership positions) and within those accomplishments the steps to achieve them
  • Family goals: activities, meals, community involvement
  • Self-care goals: eating, exercise, sleep, hobbies

Find your Ikigai by finding something you love to do, are good at, that the world needs, and that you can get paid for. In Emergency Medicine, that usually means find a niche that you love.