A Year into the Journey on the Road Less Traveled

A year ago this week, I left a job that was incredibly meaningful to me, as an educational leader in medicine… to put my own needs first.

There, I said it.

Despite doing extremely meaningful work, I was exhausted. I had no work-life balance and was never present (mentally or physically) for my family. I was living a life that was out of integrity with my values and had been in constant survival mode for years on end. When additional family needs arose, I had nothing left to give.

The journey has not been easy. There was a tremendous amount of guilt, shame, fear, and self-doubt along the way. There were a lot of ugly cries. I had to tame my self-sabotaging traits of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overachieving. I had to let go of overwork as a badge of honor and worrying about other people's expectations. I am still a work in progress.

When people ask me how I’m doing these days, the honest answer is AMAZING. I created a vision and am living it. I am healthy, rested, and joyful. I have control of my time, am present for my family and friends, and have hobbies and interests. I am still practicing medicine and teaching residents, but on my terms. And I have the privilege of helping others to reach their maximum potential and thrive through change through coaching.

I am incredibly thankful to the many individuals who have helped me navigate this journey, especially my coaches and accountability partners. There is no way I could have made it to this point without them.

A year ago, I chose a path that prioritized authenticity, alignment with my values, joy, and self-compassion…. I chose me. And that has made all the difference.