Episode 53: A Vital Check-In for Doctor Moms: The Power of Reflection

“Turn off the music, eyes over here, it’s time for the time-out!”

This happens every day in the operating room, at the start of every case.

It’s a mandated checklist read out loud to the team of surgeons, nurses, techs and anesthesiologists.

We make sure to have the right patient, the right procedure and that possible complicating issues are addressed.

It is a moment to stop and reflect on our purpose for being there in that cold, bright room.

Regular reflection works in the same way by checking in with your inner compass.

Without taking moments to pause and reflect, you risk moving through life on autopilot. You drift further from what truly matters until one day, you may look up and wonder how you got here.

I’ll walk you through why you get off track, the consequences of not checking in, and how to use simple reflection techniques to realign with what matters most.

Why Do We Lose our Way as Momma Docs?

Welcome back to the Chart Your True North series where I guide you on the journey toward what matters most. The starting line is to pick a destination based on your core values, then fuel up with self-care and set up road signs, or boundaries to streamline your trip.

If any of these topics pique your interest and you missed them, check out episodes 48 to 51.

Now that you’re on your way toward living a value-driven life, it’s time to check your compass and stay on track. This is accomplished by regular reflection or checking in with your goals.

The problem is that it’s too easy to drift through life without awareness. Even with the best intentions it can be easy to lose your way.

In the operating room no one ever intends to miss a patient’s allergy, perform the wrong surgery or harm a patient in any way, but it can happen.

Mistakes happen when people pay less attention and operate on autopilot.

The OR is a very time-driven place that is cold, and loud and demanding. It’s easy to get caught up in the urgency of getting cases done efficiently and on time.

It’s not just for hospital revenue, but for the sake of keeping patient procedures shorter, with less anesthetic exposure and faster time to the recovery room and ultimately home.

It can be easy to lose sight of what’s important, supporting patient needs without any harm. This is why the time-out tool is so effective in realigning the entire staff in the room of their purpose.

This applies to personal life too. How many times does a week pass you by in a blur and you can’t remember the last time you took a moment for yourself?

This happens week after week until some people realize they are living by default, not design.

The things that matter deeply get buried under the demands and obligations of life, though that was never their intention.

So, how do you realign with what matters most?

Make Your Own Time-Out Checklist, Mom!

When you have clarity on your priorities you have a guiding star for the direction of your life. So, checking in with reflection is a way to make sure you’re headed toward that star and not drifting off course.

Episode 49 was all about setting your direction by tuning into core values and beliefs to get clarity, if you want to check that out.

Now, on to setting your own time-out.

Step 1: Make your own time-out checklist!

This is a method of reflecting on your list of values – just like the OR list of important items.

Put together a short list of questions that prompt you to reflect. It doesn’t have to take long. It could be as simple as asking yourself, “Am I still on track with what’s most important?”

There are many other ways to ask too:

• What is pulling me away from my priorities right now?
• Where am I saying ‘yes’ when I really mean ‘no’?
• Am I feeling energized or drained by how I’m spending my time?
• If I keep going like this, where will I end up in six months or a year?

I love this last question because it helps you visualize the future. Where will you be without making any changes? Now, you can ask yourself where you will be if you do make changes? Undoubtedly, you’ll prefer the latter.

These questions lead to a follow-up discussion with yourself as you ponder your present situation.  

Step 2: Identify small adjustments.

Now that you paused and identified possible diversions from your true north, you can make tiny adjustments to get back on track.

What’s one small shift you can make today? It could be:

• Setting a new boundary on something that doesn’t align with your priorities.
• Prioritizing rest by going to bed 15 minutes earlier or taking a real lunch break.
• Reclaiming your time by reducing screen time.
• Shifting perspective on what you assume is true. For example, does this argument truly need my energy right now?

The small adjustments are all the little things I talk about here at Inspired Mom MDs. They are the changes that you make when you have the spark and drive to achieve them.

They are course corrections now prevent the need for a major overhaul later.

Step 3: Make reflection a habit.

Lately, I’ve had a nagging feeling that I needed to pause and reflect, but I brushed it off. Honestly, I don’t have this habit yet. I don’t have a set time, whether it’s weekly or monthly to really check in with myself and consider what areas of my life are on autopilot.

But then yesterday, I replaced an hour spot on my calendar with time to reconnect to my true north, what I want to accomplish and who I want to impact in my life. And you know, it was such a relief.

I was glad to finally stop ignoring my inner voice and keep pushing forward with work and chores. Allowing those minutes to prioritize my sense of direction will help me prevent wasting time on things that don’t matter.

Every day there are things to do that seem all-important, but do they really help you?

My new goal is to schedule in time like I had yesterday, and make it a habit, not just a “when I get to it” sort of task.

Reflections Keep You from Getting Lost

Life will always have detours, but reflection keeps you from getting lost.

They are revisiting core values and priorities and things that matter most.

If you’re on track to your destination, great! Celebrate that milestone.

If things are running astray, how wonderful it would be if you caught it early when small tweaks can get things back on track.

Today I talked about a way to do this by having your own time-out checklist to identify these issues and tweaks. And, more importantly, as I am striving to do, make the time-out a habit. Make it part of your routine, much like it is part of the routine for the OR staff at the start of each new case.

Don’t forget to join me next week for the next topic in the Chart Your True North series, which is about managing roadblocks on your journey. Until then, take care of yourselves, and take care of those who matter most.

It’s Time to Take Control and Thrive!