Now More Than Ever

On By Clinician LifestylistIn career, lifestyleLeave a comment

Facing challenges and stressful situations can expose underlying characteristics that were already there. As clinicians, we see this phenomenon when a patient with an underlying health risk factor sustains a new injury that exacerbates their overall prognosis and outcomes. On the other hand, positive  underlying traits can also be exposed by stressing the system- think of the resilience of a determined young track athlete who diligently pushes through rehab to compete again after serious injury. At the start of 2020, many health care workers were already stretched thin in our roles, managing unsupportive environments, or climbing uphill on financial and life goals, while using our resilience, flexibility, and problem solving skills to persist in our careers. The national and global events of the past year- viral pandemic, racial reckoning, threats to democracy- are exposing the underlying stresses and traits that we all have. With Clinician Lifestylist, I want to reinforce the principles and traits that are in need of exposure, now more than ever.

Responsibility for my health and well-being

At all times, and especially when faced with a set back or trauma, I’m listening to what my mind, body, and heart need. For me, striking a balance of talking to loved ones and reading guidance from experts are essential forms of support. We can all get thrown off track some times with busy, changing schedules and unexpected challenges, and now I’m resetting in maintaining the evening routines and energy producing meal scheduling that work best for me and my lifestyle.

Setting short and long term goals

A key aspect of goal-setting includes keeping my finances in order. I’m still checking the state of my accounts every week and keeping an eye on my student loans (even while they are at 0% interest with the pandemic relief package). Every month, I’m paying off as much as I can in order to get this weight off me as soon as possible, and have one less stress in my life. I’m setting my intentions for “longer term” goals of buying a house and being able to really vacation for fun, with an eye to the days when these become shorter and near term goals. I’m remaining flexible in the face of obstacles, twists and turns, and I’m open to adjusting my goals and timelines when the state of affairs calls for it.

Savoring positive moments and expressing gratitude

In the past year, I’ve changed jobs (twice!), ultimately moving into a more supportive and fulfilling role. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I’ve been able to seize. I’ve witnessed tragedy and destruction professionally and publicly, rising to provide care, while I and my closest loved ones have been relatively safe and healthy. I’m savoring my good days and reaffirming the choices that I’m making in styling my life (see also Loving Your Clinician Lifestyle).

Now more than ever we can reflect on our health and goals, identify areas of risk and resilience, and pause to appreciate where we are in this moment before looking forward. 

Keeping Money in Your Pocket: COVID-19 and Beyond

On By Clinician LifestylistIn career, lifestyle, Personal FinanceLeave a comment

I’ve been away from writing here for a little while due to major career and life changes, even before a little thing called the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic hit. What I’ve been learning on my own journey is that the best ideas on managing lifestyle work in good times and prepare you for the storms. Here are some thoughts that I hope will be of use to everyone here- whether you’re on solid footing and looking to accelerate financial growth, just starting your career and learning, or had everything turned upside down recently.

  1. Mind your money. Having mindfulness about spending allows us to track where we are at right now. Before even considering making cuts or re-prioritizing expenses, we need to know the current landscape. Think of this as the initial diagnosis before starting on a plan. I use an online platform to track spending (Mint, not an ad) and get both a snapshot and long view of how I’m doing. Turns out buying lunch here and there at local spots has been reasonable for me, but dinner- watch out!
  2. Do the debt stomp. Growing toward financial independence means breaking ties with anything controlling our lifestyle other than ourselves. In times when you have income, getting any debts out of the way is a critical step, and the faster we stomp it out, the more money saved in the long run. On the numbers side, all that interest goes back in our pockets, and then compounds in future investments! On the mental side, we’re back in the driver’s seat, baby.
  3. Go for the biggest bang. Careful spending on big ticket items like housing, cars, and travel will bring great savings. Everyday purchases are important too, since learning how to budget on these items helps sharpen the wealth growing skills, but the relative impact of saving thousands on single items is a great place to start. For me, focusing on keeping rent as low as possible in my high cost area and monitoring food expenses has kept so much extra in my pocket (and going toward financial goals). With COVID-19 restrictions, we’re all getting to see the impact of travel on our finances. What positive changes can you keep going?
  4. Do it Yourself. As much as we can in-source daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, laundry, and so on, we can save money. Of course, there is a link between using support services and being able to work more hours/ have more energy, which can boost in income and allow for time in other important areas. However, while in the debt stomp and growing wealth phases, we can keep exercising the skill of keeping money in our own pockets. My decision point comes down to whether I can do the task without feeling like I’m burning out. A good run of the numbers might be helpful here too.
  5. Share with important people in your life. Talking to a partner or with close friends and family can have many benefits. Sharing plans helps to clarify my understanding and intentions, creates accountability, and draws support along the way. Being on the same page with a partner can also really help accelerate work on goals, and foster a healthy relationship. Even more, when others are in on my plans, they seem more understanding of my lifestyle and choices (e.g. trying a new cookbook vs. all the Michelin star restaurants in town; finding the best local theater vs. the touring Broadway show). 

On my journey, I have put effort into increasing my skills in lifestyle management and financial health as I entered my professional career and navigated career changes. I’m thankful for these skills as the storms have rolled in, and continue to learn beneficial lessons.

Share your biggest pocket saving tips in the Clinician Lifestylist comments below!

How to Feel Culture in Any Town

On By Clinician LifestylistIn lifestyle, Nutrition, Personal FinanceLeave a comment

Whether living in a big city with a lot of entertainment options, or in a quieter rural area, it’s reasonable to feel uncertain how to experience culture when busy with clinical duties and focused on a lifestyle that centers on growing financial independence. Staying at home every day and eating beans and rice does not cut it for me. Here are some easy ideas that help me inject culture and fun into my lifestyle. 

Eat. Create soulful meals at home and try out cooking your own take on international cuisines. I like to give beans and rice an upgrade with Caribbean style. Add a little flair with jerk spices and a side of fried plantains.

Listen. Find out what engages others. Talking to friends, colleagues, and neighbors is a great way to pick up on local events and experiences. Find out what engages others. Talking to friends, colleagues, and neighbors is a great way to pick up on local events and experiences. One note of caution for those of us on the financial independence path- listening to others can be a great resource, but can also have negative impacts when we surround ourselves with others who are in a different financial position or mindset. Growing financial independence is easiest with connections to like-minded others.

Wear it. A scarf around the neck for a secret Francophile, or a printed head wrap for an Africana scholar can evoke a sense of culture in oneself. A few select pieces can make an impact without breaking the bank!

Go. When particularly restless, try a road trip to check out the surrounding areas. Any change of scenery can help feed the wanderlust, without breaking the bank with a big trip. Some of my favorite cost effective itinerary items are walking around historic landmarks, hiking, visiting parks, and perusing public festivals. If I have to eat out, finding a new casual, local spot is usually a fun and satisfying alternative to standard fast food options and even fine dining.

The Clinician Style

On By Clinician LifestylistIn career, lifestyle, Personal FinanceLeave a comment

This post is geared toward early career clinicians, but may benefit advanced career folks too! When transitioning into my new professional clinician job, I was excited to make sure I looked the part too. At the moment, I’m mostly working in an outpatient office, so I rarely put on scrubs or a white coat. I also wanted to continue growing financial independence and not break the bank by upgrading my wardrobe. Here are some key choices that I’ve made:

  1. Getting a feel for the work environment and culture. Every hospital, clinic, or office will have a different standard of dress, whether stated or implicit. If you are in a department or group practice, it’s great to start by looking at how more senior professionals. I like to meet or exceed senior clinicians in dress level, within my own lifestyle guidelines as far as brands, number of pieces, and actual cost.
  2. Getting the full picture of what’s already in the closet. I start off the wardrobe plan by opening my closet doors and pulling out any clothes in storage. Since the middle of my main grad school years, I’ve had some work clothes that were shoved aside when not needed for hospital rotations, or was just getting tired of them and wanting some new clothes for internship and residency years. Even after donating and selling a bunch of items before moves, I still had some nice pieces that hadn’t been worn for awhile but were still stylish and well fitting enough to bring back in a new setting.
  3. Checking out thrifted options before buying new. Online marketplaces are also a stop before new retail. If new is a must, I like to see if the store is listed on coupon code websites or try waiting for a sale to come along.
  4. Good grooming goes a long way. Whether you’re lower or higher maintenance with your look, not underestimate the value of solid grooming to elevate style. I’m a fan of the “5-minute face,” approach to using a few basic makeup and hair products. For guys, a regular trim and some moisture on the face or lips can do the trick. Lastly, doctors, let’s not forget that our hands and nails are often on display!

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

  1. Pockets, pockets, and more pockets in tops and bottoms
  2. Wedge dress shoes for comfort and style
  3. Grown up backpack for commuting
  4. Hospital logo fleece jacket lives in the office
  5. Hair comb lives in a desk drawer

5 Steps to Double Energy Levels Overnight

On By Clinician LifestylistIn lifestyle, Nutrition1 Comment

We hear a lot about what to eat, but much less about how to eat. Until recently, I struggled with maintaining a healthy diet that would also keep my energy up throughout the day.

This was my old routine: First I would wake up around 6 am, get dressed and have breakfast at home every morning, make a cup of black tea after arriving at work, and have additional caffeine or a light snack mid-morning, all before midday lunch. Then in late afternoon, I’d often find myself snacking again to fight hunger pangs or a dip in energy so I could get through to evening activities and to dinner.  

So basically, I was eating first thing in the morning regardless of how hungry I was within the limited window of making breakfast at home, and then struggling to manage hunger throughout the day. I felt particularly susceptible to the 3 pm energy slide and would snack just to stay awake even if I wasn’t hungry. Furthermore, because this was a “snack” it was an easy opportunity to grab less than ideal treats from the vending machine or hospital cafe. I often justified it because I needed energy to get to the gym or make a decent dinner later in the evening.

On my new meal schedule, my energy shot up the charts. Here’s what I’m doing now:

  1. Don’t force an early meal. I’m no longer routinely eating food before heading out the door to work.
  2. Hydrate. I drink water or caffeinated beverages in the office early morning- tea and/or sugar-free energy drink are my go-to’s.
  3. 1st meal of the day in late morning or midday. If I only drink water or tea, I’m usually ready for this meal by around 10:30 or 11 am, but it can often go to noon if I have an energy drink. The exact timing also depends somewhat on my work schedule, but I’m finding that this constraint is working better for me than the window of time for eating breakfast at home.
  4. 2nd meal of the day in late afternoon. Eating around 2 to 3 pm gets me through my usual energy dip, and I go for more real foods. 
  5. 3rd meal in mid evening. The later lunch carries me through to a typical dinner time around 7 pm.

In essence, I am no longer constraining myself in the morning, but instead eat a more satisfying first meal when I’m hungry, and use my 2nd meal to get through a known problem spot in late afternoon. Plus, with afternoon snack time now a meal, I eliminate the extra calories (and expense) of eating this on top of the 3 main meals.

If you want to try my energy boosting meal plan, or have your own hacks for how to eat, share in the comments!

Finding Your Unicorn: Obama, Wiley and Lifestyle

On By Clinician LifestylistIn lifestyleLeave a comment

When it comes to approaching lifestyle, the unicorn for me is an activity that is supremely entertaining and also cost effective. However, this unicorn can be very challenging to find when traveling or coordinating plans with other people. This past weekend I was in New York City and made plans to visit the Cloisters, the Met’s branch in upper Manhattan that houses (and in some places is made of) medieval art and architecture. At the Met museums, residents of New York State can get tickets for themselves and a guest at a “donation only” rate. So admission can be free, or at a significantly reduced cost. A great start to the day for those of us in the growing wealth phase of life. 

Unicorn Tapestry (The Met Cloisters)

We happened to show up just in time for the tour and decided to follow along in order to better learn about this medieval retrospective. Although there was treasure throughout the museum, by far the most intriguing place to me was the Unicorn Tapestries Room. Our tour group paced around the room, first learning the story of four large tapestries that seemed to go together, showing the hunt of a mythical unicorn. Then, set apart from the others was a solitary vertical tapestry that drew me in, with its millefleur wallpaper of colorful flowers and fruits and central unicorn inside a wooden pen. The tapestry in itself was a beauty, but the likeness to another piece of art also hit me…

President Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley (National Portrait Gallery)

Artist Kehinde Wiley painted the commissioned portrait of President Barack Obama that was unveiled in 2018 and hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. Wiley is known for depicting modern subjects, often African American men, in the style of classical paintings. One of his most famous works mirrors Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Wiley has shared that the chosen flowers in the president’s portrait are symbols of places in Obama’s history. However, the artist has not given a particular historical reference for the portrait. Can we see one inspiration in the Unicorn Tapestry?

Unicorn symbols have been closely linked to Obama since his first presidential campaign. Fans and detractors alike talked about his almost magical presence and the fantasies of what he could accomplish. A quick image search will show many versions of Obama-unicorn art and memes, from biblical to downright erotic. Even his wife Michelle wrote in her autobiography that when she met him, he was “like a unicorn.” Wiley- a virtuoso in classical and modern art, pop and elite culture- could weave together these symbols into an important portrait. In turn, Wiley gives us all a lesson for approaching lifestyle by mixing and matching meaningful parts, and by being open to ideas from unexpected places.

The Unicorns

My casual visit to the Met Cloisters turned into an exciting dive through art, symbolism, and politics that’s kept me entertained for far longer than the hour-long tour. Do you think the Unicorn Tapestry could be an inspiration for Wiley’s portrait of President Obama? What are your lifestyle unicorns?  

Loving Your Clinician Lifestyle

On By Clinician LifestylistIn lifestyle1 Comment

A truth about me is that I’m very good at compartmentalizing and working toward goals. Even though I can experience stress very deeply at times, if I have a goal I go at it with strength and conviction. Fortunately, I find that if I can get through a particularly stressful moment, the feeling passes and contentment with many aspects of a given situation can settle in. This mindset is helping me to maintain the current lifestyle that I’ve crafted. 

Do you feel content with your current life? Whether everything at work and home is peaceful, or you are intensely working to achieve your goals, reaching that feeling of contentment will help keep you going and live your own life as you want it to be. Here are some ideas that will help get to this place:

Have a concrete, ideally written goal. This process helps to clarify your thoughts and serves as a reminder of where you’d like to be heading. 

Look around at what you have. House? Utilities turned on? Food readily accessible? If the basics are covered, we’re well on our way. Now think back to how you lived 5 or 10 years ago. Chances are, you were once in a dorm, sharing a basic apartment with roommates, or living at home as a young adult. Maybe you’re still in that situation. As part of a bigger goal, a simple lifestyle can be enough. If you are hoping to upgrade, are you fully prepared for it or is there an unnecessary rush? 

What do you really need to feel good about your current life? Maybe it’s quality with family, being a social butterfly, hitting the gym, or looking at art. Regularly engaging in these activities will help to maintain contentment. If it’s difficult to balance personal pursuits with family or other obligations, combining efforts can be helpful.

Look for ways to decrease stress too. As much as we may love our opportunity to help others and solve complex problems, a clinical job can be stressful. Finding ways to balance is good for everyone, whether for you that means doing something active and physical, or having some low key relaxing. 

Have you approached each of these tasks?

How to Grow Financial Independence and Look Good Doing It

On By Clinician LifestylistIn lifestyle, Personal Finance2 Comments

I discussed previously why clinicians can throw out the word retirement and instead focus on financial independence. I like to talk about growing toward financial independence as this really captures the developmental process over a period of time to build and compound savings and other assets. Just like with human development, the growth process is heavily physical and mental. Here are some key steps.

  1. Fuel up as much as you can. Yes, having a higher income will always make financial growth easier. I do want to emphasize that any income level, especially one earned by a clinical professional with an advanced degree, should be sufficient for growing toward financial independence. The only difference will be in how quickly you get there and how you style your life along the way.
  2. Get financially fit by exercising your budgeting skills. We all know that both food and movement are keys to success  when developing a great physique. The best way to become financially fit and grow toward independence is through budgeting. I’m sure you all know the person who loves to exercise and it’s a way of life that comes naturally, while others hate it and have to be pushed off their butts. However, we know that doing at least a little bit consistently is good for everyone. The same is true for budgeting. If you can push yourself to consistently incorporate budgeting for the biggest expenditure categories, you’ll be on your way toward financial independence.
  3. The more you know, the stronger you’ll be. Financial education is a secret sauce when it comes to growing wealth. I recommend reading a combination of basic money and finance texts, combined with individual perspectives from financial advisors and regular people with an interest in sharing knowledge (like this blog!). It’s always a good idea to learn some of the basics for yourself, but reading perspective blogs can help to make sense of it all and following a plan that works for your lifestyle! A good adviser or blogger should be upfront about the boundaries of their expertise. 
  4. Get mentally tough. As clinicians, we are used to making recommendations for others and see how challenging following any plan can be. Keeping up energy and commitment to a plan is a necessary part of growing wealth. 
  5. Embrace the look of growing wealth. On the path toward financial independence, your accounts are looking healthier and healthier, but it’s natural to wonder how you look on the outside. The confidence that you will gain knowing that you are moving toward financial freedom goes far. Clinicians have to navigate enough at work to avoid stress that getting control over your lifestyle and moving toward financial freedom starts to lift that burden. Although they might not be able to put their finger on it, soon others will be wondering how you look so satisfied with your lifestyle.

Why Clinicians Shouldn’t Worry about Retirement

On By Clinician LifestylistIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

3 keys of financial independence

When you think about the word retirement, what images come to mind? For me, the first ones are silver haired folks teeing up on the golf course, gathering at a community center, or sitting on the front porch at any day or time of the week. That picture might be wonderful, but what does it have to do with me and how I’m living my life right now? If you’re like me, retirement is something that happens way down the line, in the sunset of our lives. If we wait a little while to think about and plan for it, no big deal! There’s plenty of time, right? Plus, who in the early stages and prime of their career wants to stop and think about getting old anyway?

I’d like to invite all of you reading this post to go ahead and throw away the word retirement. Yes, throw it out! Let’s all learn to put financial independence in its place. Ok, retirement might show up in the name of savings accounts that could be using now, like Individual Retirement Accounts. Other than that, focusing on financial independence is going to create the mindset you’ll need to start planning and positioning yourself for the best clinician career and lifestyle that you can!

So what exactly is financial independence? Some of you may already be very familiar with the concept, but it will be new for others. When I shared with other people in my life that I was creating a plan to reach financial independence, the response was confusion. Oh, are you still getting money from your parents? Aren’t you independent already? When we use the terms financial independence or financial freedom, we are really talking about growing enough savings and investment profits to live off of so that we can be independent from required employment and have ultimate choice in our lifestyle. This growth process will be the same for all clinicians, no matter how much money you make! The amount of savings needed to call yourself financially independent is personal and depends on the lifestyle you want to have. At that point, you could retire if you wanted to, or just have the freedom to work and live however you desire. Whether or not you plan to retire or leave a job at financial independence does not change the overall process, but financial independence is needed to be able to successfully retire. Thus, financial independence is really the only term we need! 

Clinicians are passionate, hard working, and motivated people. Thinking about retirement can be a strange concept for us, especially early in our careers, and many will attempt to keep working in some way for a very long time. Focusing on financial independence means that we are making the most out of our career choices and clinician lifestyle, regardless of what the end points might be.

Financial independence (FI) for clinicians:

  1. Growing wealth with savings and investments
  2. Controlling your own career path and lifestyle
  3. Not worrying about retirement

Coming up, I’ll start off more discussions about financial independence and how clinicians can pursue this with their career and lifestyle. Go ahead and ask me a question or request a personal consultation.

Welcome to Clinician Lifestylist!

On By Clinician LifestylistIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Ready

Hello and welcome to Clinician Lifestylist! A little about me here- I have a clinical doctorate degree and professional license. After finishing my training and preparing to start a “real job,” I very quickly I realized that personal finance and lifestyle management were going to be just as valuable skills. 

I work in a respectable academic medical center, with hospital privileges and a faculty appointment. By many accounts I have “made it” as an early career clinical professional. On the other hand, there’s living in an expensive city, seeing the full reality of working in my chosen profession, and thinking about the next phase in adult life. 

Position 

There are some well developed websites out there for doctors, but I was also somewhat discouraged to constantly hear about family medicine docs, psychologists, nurse practitioners, veterinarians, and many clinicians described as “low-income” and advised in a different manner. This kind of relative thinking can lead to a downward spiral that might contribute to poor mindset and consequently poor lifestyle management. Everyone knows at least theoretically to avoid Keeping Up with the Joneses, but who wants to be told that they are the Littles? The reality is that the best advice will generalize broadly without much calculation about if it will work for you compared to others. Even more, we know that positive mindset and positive environment are some of the most valuable tools in developing and maintaining helpful skills.

Onward

I’ve enjoyed sharing my ideas with people and my life and would love to build a community here to discuss how clinicians and medical professionals are crafting their lifestyle. So pull up a chair, subscribe, follow, or direct message me. What do you think?