Imagining What's Possible

I was teaching a group of Physicians recently the foundations for getting home with today's work done. 

Towards the end of the class, I often ask "what would you love to create for yourself" or "It would be awesome if …."

The fascinating thing is, answering this question is difficult. Before life coaching, I may not have known how to answer this question either.

What do you mean that I get to decide what's possible? What do you mean, imaging a clinical day that is different to what you experience now?

Why would I do that? I have no control over what happens. I just go to work and do what needs to be done. That's just reality.

This way of thinking was exactly how I spent the first 15 years of family medicine. 

My clinical day just happened to me.

Once or twice I asked for change and most often I was simply told "no" we are not going to do that. It reinforced that this was just how it was. Go to work, do the things and hope you get home at a reasonable hour and wonder why nothing changes decade to decade.

In reflecting on my past, I realized why this question was so difficult to answer. When you are existing "at the effect" of your clinical day, then you forget that you actually have choice and power.

It is possible to imagine things differently and start to create change in your life.

Think about all the amazing things that you have dreamed of doing that you created as a reality in your life.

You imagined graduating from high school - and you did

You imagined having a medical career - and you do

What else? Life partner, kids, a move across the country, a fun destination holiday?

It is possible to keep imagining a new reality for yourself and go out and create it!

The trick is, knowing that it is unfamiliar, often difficult, has lots of obstacles, but not impossible if you simply don't quit.

Once we started talking about this with the group, there were some great answers! A better EMR. A personal assistant who can anticipate what I need. Time for exercise. Being able to reliably get home at the end of the work day.

But here's a final tip - wishing for these things doesn't make it happen.

To the person who wants a better EMR - we would love you to pick up that dream and make it a reality! But we all appreciate exactly how frustrating the process is going to be. But you know what - it is possible IF you want to do the work to create it.

So, I give you a simple challenge 😜 step away from the day-to-day grind and give yourself an opportunity to daydream. Not 5 minutes. I mean take a long walk, away from distractions and ask yourself what you want. What would be awesome.

It's scary, only because we don't think it would be possible, we fear we will get our hopes up and disappoint ourselves.

The risk, that's why we stay stuck, right where we are, mad about the things that annoy us and at the whim of someone else's agenda.

Dreams are free.

Dreams cost us nothing.

And they help us imagine a life that we are actually creating on purpose.

And then we just remind ourselves that we have done many hard things in our lifetime, why stop now 😁❤️

So here's to wild imaginations!