As physicians, we’re no strangers to placing our time in. Whether or not it’s charting, name shifts, maintaining with CME, or simply attempting to be current with our households, it usually seems like we’re drowning in obligations. Actually, at instances, it could really feel overwhelming.
However right here’s a fact I needed to be taught: I didn’t have a time drawback. I had a prioritization drawback.
It wasn’t till I began utilizing a easy decision-making framework — the Eisenhower Matrix — and mixed it with digital assistants and AI that I started to create time in my day by day life.
In case you continually really feel behind or overwhelmed, this put up will stroll you thru the right way to:
- Establish what truly deserves your consideration
- Systematically eradicate or delegate every little thing else
- Use know-how successfully to release hours every week
Let’s dive in.
Disclaimer: This text is for informational and academic functions solely and doesn’t represent monetary, authorized, or funding recommendation. Any funding includes threat, and it is best to seek the advice of your monetary advisor, lawyer, or CPA earlier than making any funding selections. Previous efficiency shouldn’t be indicative of future outcomes. The writer and related entities disclaim any legal responsibility for loss incurred because of using this materials or its content material.
Why Most Physicians Really feel Stretched Skinny
We’re skilled to “do it and do it properly.” That usually means we tackle an excessive amount of, attempt to do every little thing ourselves, and assume being “busy” is simply a part of being a high-performing physician.
However zoom out for a second. In case you’re doing:
- Affected person care
- Documentation
- Admin work
- Analysis
- Operating your apply
- Instructing or mentoring
- Household duties
- Making an attempt to train, sleep, and possibly take into consideration passive revenue
You’re most likely operating on fumes. Nobody can maintain that with out methods in place.
Step 1: The Eisenhower Matrix – Tips on how to Prioritize Like a Professional
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you resolve what actually deserves your time.
Right here’s the way it breaks down:
Quadrant 1: Pressing and Essential — Do It Now
These are rapid, high-stakes duties that require your experience.
Examples:
- Responding to a medical emergency
- Ending time-sensitive documentation
- Dealing with a billing concern that impacts money circulate
Quadrant 2: Not Pressing however Essential — Schedule It
These are the high-leverage actions that form your future, however they usually get pushed apart.
Examples:
- Studying about actual property investing
- Organising property plans
- Creating methods in what you are promoting
- Spending time with household
- Prioritizing well being
That is the place actual freedom is constructed. However we hardly ever make house for it as a result of it doesn’t scream for our consideration.
Quadrant 3: Pressing however Not Essential — Delegate It
These duties really feel necessary, however they don’t require your experience. They need to be offloaded to another person.
Examples:
- Scheduling conferences
- Answering routine emails
- Reserving journey
- Formatting shows
Quadrant 4: Not Pressing and Not Essential — Delete It
These are distractions. They waste time and supply little return.
Examples:
- Refreshing your electronic mail
- Arguing in Fb feedback
- Consistently reorganizing your to-do checklist
Once I first began utilizing this, I made an inventory of every little thing on my plate – one-time duties and recurring ones – after which assigned every to a quadrant. You are able to do this manually, or higher but, use AI to assist categorize them for you (extra on that beneath).
Step 2: How I Use a Digital Assistant (VA) as a Doctor and Entrepreneur
As soon as I began making use of the Eisenhower Matrix, I noticed what number of of my weekly duties landed in Quadrant 3 — pressing however not necessary. These have been very best to delegate.
As a substitute of doing every little thing myself, I discovered to rent a digital assistant (VA) for an extremely cheap value. It’s a win-win: you offload repetitive duties, they acquire significant work, and sometimes, they’ll do it higher and sooner than you would.
Right here’s how I began utilizing a VA and how one can too.
What I Delegated First
- E mail triage
- Calendar coordination
- Journey logistics
- Analysis (instruments, distributors, presents, service comparisons)
- Social media formatting and scheduling
I recorded Loom movies for duties, created processes, and used process boards in Notion to assign and observe progress. The distinction was rapid. I went from managing every little thing to focusing solely on the issues that required my distinctive enter.
Techniques That Work Effectively With a VA
- Use venture administration instruments like Notion, Trello, or ClickUp
- File SOPs (normal working procedures) as soon as utilizing Loom and reuse them
- Use shared cloud folders with clear file naming conventions
- Give restricted entry by way of instruments like LastPass for safety
Begin by shopping for again 5 hours every week. Over time, this compounds into extra margin, much less stress, and larger give attention to high-impact work.
Step 3: How I Use AI to Multiply My Time
AI instruments like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity have turn into my go-to digital assistants once I want one thing quick, correct, and scalable.
One of many first methods I used AI was by taking my process checklist and asking ChatGPT to assist me categorize it utilizing the Eisenhower Matrix. To start with, I needed to train it what I thought-about necessary, however over time, it discovered my preferences and sorted duties extra precisely — and far sooner than I may manually.
Listed below are a couple of different methods I and different physicians use AI in medication, enterprise, and life:
Medical + Administrative Duties
- Summarizing journal articles into plain English
- Drafting enchantment letters for insurance coverage
- Creating affected person training content material
- Writing convention slide outlines
- Researching scientific instruments or databases
Enterprise and Private Duties
- Drafting LinkedIn posts and newsletters
- Evaluating software program instruments or subscriptions
- Producing title choices for webinars or weblog posts
- Planning a 5-day household trip itinerary with price range
The important thing to getting good output is giving good enter. Inform the AI what position it is taking part in, who the viewers is, and what format you need the reply in.
Right here’s a pattern immediate I’ve used:
“You’re a grasp journey agent who is aware of my preferences (beforehand shared). Assist me create an itinerary for a four-day household journey to Paris, together with transportation choices.”
When you be taught to immediate AI properly, it turns into an extension of your considering and execution — not only a novelty.
Step 4: Know What Your Time Is Value
In case you earn $350,000 a 12 months and work 50 hours per week, your time is value about $135 an hour. Nonetheless, I believe physicians ought to worth their time nearer to $1000 an hour.
Each time you spend three hours doing one thing a VA or software program may do for $15 to $25 an hour, you are shedding $300 in alternative value — and sacrificing time with your loved ones, your well being, or your development.
Ask your self:
Would you pay somebody your hourly charge to do that process?
If not, it most likely doesn’t belong in your plate.
Step 5: Construct a Weekly System
It’s one factor to have the best instruments. It’s one other to construct habits that leverage them constantly.
Right here’s the straightforward system I take advantage of every week:
Sunday Planning (15 to twenty minutes):
- Assessment my calendar and Eisenhower Matrix
- Assign duties to my VA
- File any wanted Loom walkthroughs
- Draft AI prompts for the week
Mid-week Assessment:
- Approve VA deliverables
- Refine AI output
- Reassess what I can eradicate
This routine saves me eight to 10 hours every week — and sometimes extra.
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Closing Ideas: What Would You Do With an Further Hour a Day?
Would you:
- Spend it with your loved ones
- Work in your facet hustle
- Sleep extra
- Construct out your funding technique
- Or just take a break
You don’t must overhaul your life to start out shopping for again your time. You simply must take step one.
Begin by deleting one process.
Delegate yet one more.
Automate yet one more.
Quickly, your calendar will begin to replicate the life you truly need.
Need Assist Getting Began?
In case you’re able to go deeper, listed below are a couple of sources that may assist:
The way forward for time freedom isn’t about working more durable. It’s about letting go of the issues that don’t want you — so you possibly can double down on those that do.
Have been these useful in any method? Ensure to join the e-newsletter and be a part of the Passive Revenue Docs Fb Group for extra physician-tailored content material.
Peter Kim, MD is the founding father of Passive Revenue MD, the creator of Passive Actual Property Academy, and gives weekly training by way of his Monday podcast, the Passive Revenue MD Podcast. Be part of our neighborhood on the Passive Revenue Doc Fb Group.
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