A Culture Shift

The other day I read an interesting article, which posits that junior faculty members with esoteric research projects are ironically similar to young tech bros working insane hours and in Silicon Valley to make millions on their breakthrough app.

The common thread? They’re both hustling.

Only the Silicon Valley programmer actually has a chance at a pot of gold, whereas the physician might just accelerate their timing to tenure by a year or two. Their research likely won’t make a huge difference in the world of patient care.

There is a time and a place for hustle. But at some point, hustle becomes unhealthy. It can become your identity. And it can be hard to separate yourself when you’re entrenched in the culture.

How can you start your own culture shift?

Today on the Lean Out Podcast, I’m sharing with you Chapter 4 of Lean Out: A Professional Woman’s Guide to Finding Authentic Work-Life Balance. The chapter is titled A Culture Shift.

In this chapter, I described my own wake up call to examine the unwritten rules I was living by at the time I found myself in a full-blown health crisis.

We’re all living by unwritten rules. Do you know what yours are?

In this chapter, I also introduce the concept of the hedonic treadmill of achievement. Lastly, I share the story of BC. A friend and fellow physician who, after burning out, returned to medicine on a very part-time basis. She now balances creative writing and a palliative care practice. Here’s the published interview I did with her for the podcast!

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I really want to know what you think of the quiz at the end. Take it, and leave a comment here about your results!

Are you on the treadmill of achievement?