Work-Life Integration and Time Management Strategies

Abstract

When choosing a career as a surgeon, we knowingly dedicate ourselves to a lifetime of service and education. Our commitment as physicians is but one of many commitments in the larger scheme of life where we function as family members, friends, athletes, and numerous other roles. Work and life are often described as two separate entities diametrically opposed to each other. In reality, personal and professional goals are part of a continuum where work is a major part of our lives and who we are as people and is not necessarily separate from the others. The goal-directed nature with which we approach our responsibilities as surgeons should be applied to all domains of life. As we progress along the training paradigm from intern to attending, control over time allocation increases. Understanding oneself, determining priorities, applying realistic expectations, cultivating a supportive environment, setting personal and professional goals, and being held accountable for progress and completion of these goals will allow us to utilize limited time efficiently to achieve what we individually desire from life.

Keywords: environment; schedule expectations; short-/long-term goals; work–life integration.

Fig. 1

A simplified time management grid to help organize priorities and direct action based on priority. (Adapted from Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People . New York, NY: Free Press; 2004:151.)

Fig. 2

Time management applications with the listed services to help with organization, performance tracking, and goal measurement.

Fig. 3

Calendar applications that integrate all family members' activities and provide the listed services to assist in family organization and time management.