Time management isn’t the problem — alignment is

I get asked this question a lot:

“How do you do all the things that you do?”

People usually mean it as a compliment. What they’re really saying is that, from the outside, it looks like I must be exceptional at time management.

Here’s the honest truth — and one that might surprise you:

Sometimes, I’m not.

I still have weeks where my calendar is too full. I still say yes to things I shouldn’t. I still catch myself stacking commitments on top of already-full days because part of me believes I should be able to handle it.

The difference isn’t that I’ve cracked the code on time management.

It’s that I’ve learned how to notice misalignment sooner — and how to reclaim time through a series of small, intentional choices rather than chasing perfection.

This is something I’ve been talking about a lot in my recent Instagram series, because so many healthcare professionals are blaming themselves when the real issue isn’t productivity, discipline, or motivation.

It’s alignment.

Why time management advice so often fails physicians

Most traditional time-management advice assumes the problem is efficiency.

Use a better planner.

Batch your tasks.

Wake up earlier.

But for physicians — especially those in academics, leadership, or caregiving roles — the issue is rarely about how you do things.

It’s about what you’re carrying in the first place.

I see this constantly in my coaching work:

• Faculty who are still doing tasks they outgrew years ago

• Clinicians saying yes to committees out of guilt or fear of being seen as “not a team player”

• Physician parents whose calendars leave no margin for rest, transition, or recovery

When your calendar reflects everyone else’s priorities before your own, no system will fix that.

You don’t need to manage your time better.

You need to choose differently.

Reclaiming time happens through small, often uncomfortable choices

There is no single dramatic overhaul that suddenly creates calm.

Reclaiming time happens through a series of small decisions — many of which feel uncomfortable at first.

Especially in medicine, where we were trained to tolerate discomfort, delay our own needs, and equate availability with professionalism.

Here are the three shifts that matter most.

1. Alignment with purpose makes prioritization clearer

When your purpose is fuzzy, everything feels urgent.

Every request sounds important. Every opportunity feels like something you should say yes to.

But when you’re clear on your purpose — especially in your current season — prioritization becomes clearer, even when it’s still hard.

Purpose becomes a filter.

Instead of asking:

We Prioritize Things on Our Calendars

• “Can I fit this in?”

You start asking:

• “Does this move me toward what matters right now?”

• “Is this aligned with who I’m trying to be in this season?”

• “If I say yes to this, what am I implicitly saying no to?”

For example, I’ve worked with academic physicians who stayed on committees long after the work stopped serving their goals — not because the work mattered, but because it once did.

Outdated commitments quietly consume enormous amounts of time.

Alignment gives you permission to let go without making it mean you’re failing or abandoning your values.

2. Boundaries don’t limit impact — they protect it

This is where many physicians get stuck.

We were trained — explicitly and implicitly — to believe that good doctors:

• Are always available

• Don’t disappoint others

• Absorb more without complaint

So when we say no, it feels wrong. Like we’re being difficult. Like we’re letting someone down.

I still feel this sometimes.

But here’s what I’ve learned through experience:

When I say no to something that isn’t aligned, it initially feels like a loss.

And then, often unexpectedly, it feels like relief.

Sometimes it even feels like a celebration.

Because boundaries don’t reduce your capacity — they create it.

A physician who sets boundaries around their time shows up more present in clinic.

A faculty member who protects recovery time teaches learners that sustainability matters.

A leader who models boundaries gives their team permission to do the same.

Boundaries aren’t about being rigid.

They’re about protecting your ability to show up as your best self — consistently.

3. Your calendar reveals what you truly value

Your calendar doesn’t lie.

Not about your intentions — but about your priorities in practice.

Reclaiming time means being willing to look honestly at what’s actually on your schedule.

I often ask physicians to do a simple review:

• What on this calendar is intentional?

• What’s there out of habit, obligation, or fear?

• What do you say is important — but never actually schedule?

For many physician parents, this shows up as never scheduling rest, exercise, or transition time — yet wondering why they feel depleted.

For academic physicians, it often shows up as meetings stacked back-to-back with no recovery space, while creative or scholarly work gets squeezed into nights and weekends.

Intentional calendars aren’t rigid.

They’re honest.

And they require you to treat your own needs as essential — not optional.

When time feels tight, pause before blaming yourself

If your schedule feels overwhelming right now, that doesn’t mean you’re bad at time management.

It likely means something is out of alignment.

And that’s not a failure.

It’s information.

Reclaiming time doesn’t start with doing more.

It starts with noticing.

Then choosing — one small decision at a time — to come back into alignment with your purpose, your values, and your capacity.

A final word for burned-out healthcare professionals

You don’t need another productivity system.

You don’t need to try harder.

And you certainly don’t need to blame yourself for struggling in a system that rewards overextension.

What you need is permission — and support — to choose differently.

Because time management isn’t the problem.

Alignment is.

If this resonated

If you’re reading this and thinking, “This is exactly my problem — but I don’t know how to change it on my own,” coaching can help.

This is the work I do with physicians and healthcare leaders who are:

• Tired of feeling perpetually behind

• Overcommitted in ways that no longer align with their purpose or season of life

• Struggling to hold boundaries without guilt or fear of consequences

• Wanting a calendar that reflects their values — not just their obligations

Coaching gives you space to step back, clarify what actually matters, and make intentional choices that are sustainable in real life — not just on paper.

If you’re ready to reclaim time, realign your work, and stop carrying everything alone, you can apply to work with me here:

👉🏽 Apply for 1:1 Coaching

This isn’t about fixing you.

It’s about helping you come back into alignment — with your purpose, your capacity, and the life you’re trying to build.