What Did You Accept And You No Longer Are Willing To Accept

We are human beings. We live in the present and be. Even though sometimes you do not realize or acknowledge you at a particular moment in time, you go through the present until it becomes your past.

We are also human doers. We take action. We do things. We make things happen. Sometimes it may feel a bit passive when you think you are doing things not entirely according to your will, or if you are mindlessly following a routine. Nevertheless, you are constantly doing something. Doing “nothing” is still doing something. Sitting down and staring at the sky is an action – it may not be productive, but you are doing something.

By being and doing constantly, you gradually change. You evolve. You may have the same core principles to guide your being and doing, but where you are now is likely different from where you were ten years ago.

What were five things you accepted as part of your life 10 years ago and you are no longer willing to accept?

For me, the first thing was barely had time with my family. I used to accept that it was normal to work way more than a 40-hour work week (and got paid for 40 hours). Sacrificing time with my family was a normal thing for me. I did not think about it too much. I said okay to two weeks of vacation in a year. I declined some family gatherings or activities in the name of work. Now, it is very important for me to spend time with my family. I consciously draw the line and say no to things which may interfere with my family time.

The second thing I accepted was lack of sleep. I used to think that sleep could be sacrificed because I had so much to do and so little time. Sleeping barely four to five hours was acceptable to me. That is no longer acceptable by my current self. I understand that sleep is vital to my well-being. Adequate sleep gives me the energy to go through each day. My current minimum baseline for sleep is six hours – I am still working toward the ideal goal of seven hours a night.

The third thing I used to accept was having patient charts open when I left for home. Although I did not like it, I thought it was alright to complete my leftover patient charts in the evenings and sometimes in the weekends. That was the norm for many physicians and it still is. For the past two years, I have been completing my patient charts at work and going home by 5-5:30 pm. The freedom of not having to do any patient documentation after hours is amazing, and I cannot imagine going back to where I was.

The fourth thing I used to accept was no time for myself. I almost believed that taking care of myself was selfish. As physicians, we were always taught to think of our patients first. Although it is important to serve others before you think about the compensation associated with serving, it is more important to realize that taking great care of yourself is essential to taking great care of others. I now prioritize myself. Meditation, reading and exercising are all part of my daily routine now.

The fifth thing I used to accept was lack of coaching. To be fair, up until three years ago, I had no idea what life coaching was. Life coaching transformed my life. It made me realize and confirm what is important in my life, what my values are. Coaching guides me to explore who I really am, to have more clarity in life, to have the courage to work toward what I did not think was possible. Offering coaching to others has also become part of my life. This way of serving has become an integral part of my being that I cannot imagine how I lived without any coaching for so long.

When you examine your life and find things you used to accept and no longer accept, you know that you have changed. Sometimes it may be that you have become someone whom you did not think is possible.

What were some things you accepted and you no longer accept? Who have you become? Imagine the possibilities for you ten years from now.