Facing the Facets, Pioneer Peak, Alaska - 2015

Factors That Can Affect Your Perspective

It is common for individuals to look forward to their End of Career Transition. There are others who, for variety of reasons, do not look forward to it. Both have in common some degree of apprehension born of many concerns that coexist with their positive aspirations. Yet, this is not an either/or perspective. Indeed, there are varied attitudes that differ greatly, as they reflect diverse personal and professional concerns.

Amidst these seemingly opposite viewpoints, there is yet another major one that is relatively common. It is that of colleagues that derive so much satisfaction from their role as a physician that they just want to keep practicing for as long as they are able.

I personally know colleagues that have each of these major perspectives. It is common to see a blend of these as well. As I reflect on my personal experience, understanding of human nature as well as that of the...

Gibraltar Rock, Sedona, AZ - 2008

How Your Clarity and Conviction Sustain Your Purpose

It is common in our culture for individuals to think of and describe themselves by what they do…their title, profession, vocation, etc. You may often witness this in social settings when someone introduces you to another person. Commonly, they may ask you: “What do you do for a living? or what kind of work do you do?” Seldom does someone ask you to tell them about yourself.

Why is that? There are cultural and personal reasons for this. 

As to the cultural, we are taught to identify ourselves with a “What?” This begins early in life as when uncle Joe visits the family at a special occasion and with a kind smile asks Sammy or Susie: “What are you going to be when you grow up?” There are many variations of this that are experienced during formative years…and often beyond that.

However, it readily becomes clear that you are not a...

Coursing Undeterred 

Tributary, Madison River, MT - 2004

The Next Step

Part Five of a series…

The End of Career is not an event. It is a process that affects you personally and professionally. For that reason, it takes time to prepare for and experience it. This becomes increasingly clear as you progress from the conceptual to the practical application of your plans.

So far, this series of articles has provided you with a blueprint that describes a logical and actionable planning sequence. The first articles have discussed the planning process. That included the first step, the Post Career Lifestyle Plan  and then, the Post Career Financial Plan.

These plans address your personal needs and desires as you aspire to the next great phase of your life. The topics discussed are largely applicable to the personal and professional challenges that are common to physicians in various practice settings. 

Considerations and Conclusions

Upon completion of these two plans,...

Punctuating Paradise

Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Kauai, HI - 2021

A Practical Methodology for Evaluating Your Readiness

Part Four of a Series...

There will likely come a time in your life when you will think of a projected date for your End of Career and begin to plan for it. When you do, you may take action and begin by doing what you are familiar with. You may get an update regarding the status of your retirement plan from your investment advisor(s).  

After that, you might schedule a meeting with your financial planner. It is certainly a prudent thing to do. You go with the expectation of getting some answers and clarity about your future prospects.

Stumble and Recovery

Charles asks you few questions and then suggests that there is some preliminary planning that you and your spouse should do in order to optimally advise you on your financial readiness. He asks you to prepare a fairly clear description of how you envision your...

Stability and Resilience

North Shore, Kauai - 2021

 Your Transition Is a Stimulus for Personal Development and Fulfillment

Part Three of a Series...

Change and transition are words that are often used interchangeably. However, these two words have different meanings and what they describe have distinctly different purposes.

Lessons Learned in My Life’s Journey

My personal experience with change and transition illustrates this point. Years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and then developed other medical problems. Together they created a change that ended my Plastic Surgery career and triggered my End of Career Transition. Thankfully, years later I am cured, renewed and fulfilled in my new career. 

My Transition was not an event that occurred spontaneously. It was the result of sustained, focused and deliberate effort over a period of time.  That effort was directed at a particular envisioned outcome: to experience renewal and fulfillment. The means for...

Rising Onward

The Teton Range, Grand Teton N. P. - 2021

The Path to Preparedness

Part two of a series…

The End of Career is one of those major life events for which it is critical to prepare well in advance.

Early on, you will recognize that the magnitude and scope of the challenge is significant. As a result, you will realize that to achieve a successful Transition you will need to devote focused effort over a significant period  of time. These inevitable, initial questions will arise: 

• How do I begin? 
• What should I do? 
• In what order should I do it?

I am confident that you have learned long ago, as I have, that great achievements require great preparation.

The First Step of the Path 

To begin, there are three major concerns for which preparation is essential.

The first of these is to prepare yourself, personally, to enter the next great phase of your life. As you do so, it is important to keep in mind that your spouse and in unique ways,...

    Sunset Begets Sunrise

   Smoky Mountains N. P. - 2009

Pondering, Planning and Preparedness

Part one of a series…

A common life experience is the feeling of uncertainty that arises from an inevitable, yet unfamiliar change. The kind that looms large in your horizon and accompanied by significant challenges. 

There are some challenges that minimize your feeling of uncertainty by virtue of education, training and devoted effort to a particular achievement. Most often, your education and training occurs relatively early in life, prior to launching your career. Then there are some events for which it is usually very difficult to prepare far, far in advance.

(With the recognition that there are a variety of practice settings, the model described here is that of a solo practitioner, as there are many elements of that which apply to other types of practices.)

Timely Training

A prominent example is the end of your career. My experience as a consultant...

Path and Pinnacles 

The Teton Range

Grand Teton National Park, WY - 2021

Considerations for the Solo Practitioner or Physician Otherwise Employed

When the time comes that you begin to seriously consider ending your medical career, you will find yourself thinking about a variety of personal and professional concerns as well as matters related to the business of your practice.

The myriad of concerns that you will have to address will vary significantly according to your type of practice. Nevertheless, across the spectrum of practice types, there are some common matters, duties, and tasks that must be accomplished. 

It is my personal experience and from consulting/coaching, that you will need more than just knowledge about the unknown you are about to embark upon. You will need and greatly benefit from applying a method for planning and executing a successful End of Career Transition.

Insights Into the Model

In this article, I discuss a triad of plans that comprise my...

Abundantly Grateful

USA - 2006

Gratitude, the Source of Thankfulness

I am confident that each of us has reasons to be grateful. 

Most importantly, I know that many of our blessings are divinely ordained. Each of us, in our own way, can express that very special form of gratitude. 

Beyond the miracle of life itself, there are persons that each of us can think of that warm our hearts and cause us to smile. We have been graced by their benevolence. We think kindly of them. 

Sometimes, we are able to thank them personally and express our heartfelt gratitude. To do so brings joy to those who have given of themselves for our benefit, as well as satisfaction to ourselves.

We know them as family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Then there are those we do not know, but they know who we are. Sometimes they manifest their goodwill toward us even as we are unaware.

Each has their unique version of goodwill that benefits each of us…and vice versa.

Grace and Goodwill

Flowing with Direction and Purpose

South Fork, Madison River, MT - 2004

Living Purposefully with Tranquility and Equanimity Can Improve the Quality of Your Life

To contemplate the passage of time and how each of us perceives it is a subject of wonder since the beginning of…well, time.

Early humans pondered the coming and going of the sun and moon while keeping warm by a campfire near their cave. In the twenty-first century we ponder and wonder about the same rhythms of life as we mark time on a digital clock.

The rotation of the earth on its axis that creates day and night is the same now as it was in antiquity.

The rotational march of the earth around the sun that creates the seasons and marks the years, is the same now as it was then.

So it is that the march of time was and is the same for all of us. 

But there are three things that differentiates you and I as individuals:

• How you choose to use the precious time of your life.
• How those choices reflect how you value...