Backwoods, not backwards

On September 17th, I led the workshop, "Energize Your Time: How to Be a Better Manager of Your Most Important Resource," to a packed room at the International Conference on Physician Health, in Boston. It was a very good conference.  I chatted with exceptionally friendly people, many who are working hard to create a  culture of health and wellness for physicians - in the universities, hospitals and clinics.

The room was packed not because I'm a known speaker, but because of the workshop title. What I learned from this workshop and from my many informal discussions over two days with American, Canadian and British physicians, is their tremendous desire to figure out how to be more effective with their time. To assess this, I said during a workshop exercise, "you have to start first with defining for yourself, and according to your own criteria, what does it mean to YOU to be more effective? What would be the professional and personal benefits of using your time well?"

I suggested to participants who were having a hard time defining what it means to be effective, to consider instead what happens when you don't use your time well? 

For example:

• Late for appointments, deadlines and work
• Producing shabby work, procrastinating and filling up time with distractions
• Feeling chronically overwhelmed, stressed and tired
• Plain ole - unhappy

After two days in a hotel conference setting, sitting for most of the day without fresh air and natural light and not exercising at all,  coupled with eating what felt like non-stop 'free' snacks, I felt totally ineffective.


So I headed to the backwoods of Maine, to a cabin. Had the hot water tank not emptied so quickly, I would say this was the best shower I ever had!








Walking on rocky shorelines, beaches made of shells, biking in Acadia National Park and hiking on Blue Hill was a great follow-up to the conference. And, a great way to end my summer. 

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 I wish all of you health and happiness and lots of opportunities to enjoy breaks in the backwoods. Or even backyard.

Coach Minda

Special: All clients will receive a free Honeycrisp apple with every coaching session, during the month of October.  That's four of the best apples you'll ever have, not to mention the best coaching sessions. (see this blog:http://www.coachminda.com/blog/unforbidden-fruit)