You Are What You Think You are

For years, I was closed to being paralyzed by charting. Documentation for each patient’s chart was a chore, a mandatory task that I despised. I thought that the main purpose of charting shifted from communication among providers to financial gain (mostly by big hospital organizations) with a certain way to record a patient’s clinical history. I spent endless hours to write those charts a certain way so I would be fairly compensated. A typical outpatient clinic day for me would start around 7:20 am to do preparation work. The actual patient hours were from 8 am to 4 pm. However, charting, phone calls and other administrative duties would occupy so much time that I would go home after 7 pm and still had unfinished charting to be completed. Frequently I would have to do more charting at night, after the kids went to bed. The cycle would then start again, early morning clinic duties, and no time for myself outside of work.

I thought that was the way to be. Over time I began to think that my job, similar to many other physicians’ situation, was some sort of a malicious thing. I started to forget that my job was important. I was not focusing on doing my best to help my patients, because all I wanted to do was to survive and finish my clinic day. I thought that was it. I thought that there was nothing I could do to shorten my clinic day.

When I was thinking that nothing could be done to improve my clinic day, I felt trapped. I felt helpless. Here I was doing the best I could, yet I was punished with no personal time space, with barely time with my family, with no leisure to imagine what getting together with close friends would be like.

Then my coach challenged my state of mind on this matter: what if I could finish my charts more efficiently, and end my clinic day before 6 pm, without the obligation to take home charts to write or patient phone calls to return?

That got me started to imagine going home by 5:30 pm every day. How 2 hours a day would change my life. How I could spend more time with my family and how I could actually have time to do things I enjoyed doing.

When we think that something can be done, and truly believe in it, our mind will find ways to do it. There is no one best way to do anything, and it is okay. We want to open up the curiosity channel in us and generate various ideas and shape them.

If I did not allow myself to think of the possibility of change in my clinic day, I would most likely still be doing what I was doing, charting through late hours and ignoring my family. I would still be miserable, feel stuck, frustrated and overwhelmed.

What you think can change your capacity of doing things. I took a reluctant step forward to tap into thinking the impossible. Finishing a clinic day before 6 pm with no open charts was impossible for me. By thinking that it is possible to cut my clinic day down by 2 hours, creating a mental image of what I could do with my extra spare time, I became hopeful. I started to practice ways to be more efficient and less distracted.

Be curious. Is the situation “stuck”? Is there no way to change or improve it? Be open-minded, be positive, be light-hearted, be hopeful. The more you think and believe you can, the more likelihood it is going to come true. You are what you think you are.