“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” 

I’ve tried so many different jobs over the years. When I was 15 years old, I started at a grocery store. I went from being a bagger to a cashier to a floral assistant to a kitchen clerk to a Starbucks barista. 

In college I worked as a caller at the college Phonathon to solicit donations from alumni. Then I worked three summers in a lab as a research assistant, became a certified Zumba instructor and independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay, dabbled in temp work, and scribed for mom in the ER before starting medical school. 

Medical school became a full-time job, and then I started residency. But since leaving residency, I’ve continued to dabble. I taught online MCAT prep classes for premed students, tried my hand at transcription, did some freelance projects on Upwork, and most recently I’ve become a ‘brand ambassador’ where I get paid $25/hr to hand out samples at grocery stores.

Some people may read this and might think, “This lady is all over the place! Pick a job already!!” I used to think I was flaky for trying so many different things. But each of these experiences has taught me something different and led to countless opportunities. 

It turns out, it doesn’t matter if you’re ‘flaky’ and you’re still able to get a job. Trying new jobs is not a problem unless it prevents you from getting more jobs when you need them. So ignore the haters and keep doing you.

You don’t have to stay in a job you don’t like, even if you’re $200K in debt like I am. There are opportunities all around you. Some of these you apply for, but the best ones you stumble into. 

You meet someone unexpectedly, start putting ideas together that you’ve never had, and voila! You’re onto something new that will open up your world in unexpected, exciting ways. I think of it as leveling up. 

With each experience you have, you gain new knowledge that you can put together in ways other people without those experiences can’t. That’s the power of being a multipotentialite. You become really great at adapting to new situations, learning something new in a fraction of the time of your peers, and creating solutions that blow people’s pants off.

But being a multipotentialite is also dangerous. You will undoubtedly disrupt the status quo. People’s reactions to you will range from confusion, to admiration, to disgust, to indignation. 

Some people will be incredibly pissed off that you’re making changes. But those people prefer staying small over the risks that come with growth. Your changes may feel like a threat to them.

While there are ways to work with these kinds of people to make your ideas more palatable, it’s best not to worry so much about what they think. Your life choices don’t have to make sense to anybody, and sometimes they don’t even have to make sense to you! It’s ok to try things, learn from them, and move on after you get what you need out of it.

Pay attention to the tiny voice inside of you that is giving you suggestions about what to do next. Don’t keep shushing it away. You have an inner knowing that will lead you to some spectacular places. Your job is simply to show up and try.

In college it was challenging for me to pick a career path because I had so many interests. For a while I triple majored in business, biology, and Spanish. At one point I considered getting a minor in computer science. No one really knew what to do with me.

I didn’t know what to do with myself either, so I turned to other people for advice. Many people told me to narrow my focus. My parents advised me to pursue a career in biology for greater job and financial security. 

It never occurred to me that having a lot of interests could be an asset. I always thought there was something wrong with me for having too many interests. As a society, we praise people for becoming specialists and experts in their field. 

As for the people who have lots of interests and change jobs frequently? Society often labels us as flighty, indecisive, flaky, or having problems with commitment.  But what if our ability to learn and our desire to try lots of different things were actually an asset?

I was lamenting my problem of having too many interests on one of my facebook groups when someone shared this TEDx talk by Emilie Wapnick with me. In her talk, Wapnick explains why some of us can’t seem to find our “one true calling” and defines for us a new term to grab onto: multipotentialite. 

Wapnick based the term multipotentialite off of the word multipotentiality, a term which describes people who show aptitudes across multiple disciplines. She also suggested multipod as an abbreviation for multipotentialite.

On her website, Wapnick describes some of the challenges multipods face. Many multipods struggle to find work that balances variety with stability, to balance a passion for exploration with the need to make progress, and to feel understood by others which can lead to insecurity, lack of confidence, and poor mental health.

Oof. You’re calling me out, Wapnick. Since I made the decision to quit residency last September, I squirm whenever someone asks me, “So what do you do?” 

I identify with all of those struggles she lists. How do I get to continue to dabble but still get paid to be a professional dabbler? How do I enjoy learning new things but still make progress on the projects I’ve already started? 

Luckily, her community Puttylike has loads of resources that dive into these questions. I definitely have some reading to do.

Wapnick goes on to list the unique strengths multipods have. She writes that when multipods are supported, they can turn on the following superpowers: “idea synthesis, rapid learning, adaptability, big picture thinking, and relating to and translating between different types of people, languages, and modes of thought.” 

Hot damn! For those of you who identify with this, bask with me for a minute. Doesn’t it feel great to have a title that fits us? 

I know some people think labels are overrated (which is a complicated discussion for a later time), but isn’t it nice to be validated after thinking your many interests made you a weirdo? Doesn’t it feel nice to be seen and even celebrated? 

Now the question is, what would you like to do with this knowledge? The beauty is, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this. There is only your answer.

It may be helpful to spend some time thinking about what your unique strengths and areas of interest are. You could also list your top priorities in your life right now. And then let yourself play with possibilities. 

I don’t know about you, but in the past (and sometimes even now), I’ve been afraid to dream big. As a multipod, I find myself going down some pretty wild paths and my curiosity can have me diving down rabbit holes. 

But how much of that fear stems from being afraid that I’m not living my life the way I “should” or am “supposed to”? What would happen if I let myself freely explore those wild paths and dive down those exciting rabbit holes? 

In a world with so many uncertainties, I think it’s worth exploring. As far as we know, this is our one and only opportunity to live our life. I’m going to try to live that life in the pursuit of more joy, love, and kindness. 

Who’s with me?

Many training hospitals receive federal funding to support resident salaries, but that funding has not kept up over the years. CMS finally increased funding for resident salaries in December of 2021, but only to provide funding for a total of 1,000 new resident spots to be added in 200 position increments over the next five years.

That marked the first federal funding increase in residency positions since 1996, marking 25 years of almost no growth in the number of residency spots in the US. According to data from the AAMC, between 2002 and 2019 the number of medical school admissions (DO and MD) increased by 53%. However, in the same time frame, the number of residency spots only increased by 40%.

Looking at the 2022 Match results reported by the NRMP, there were a total of 47,675 applicants for residency program in the US (including foreign medical graduates) but only 36,277 available residency positions. At then end of the Match cycle, 93.9% of all available residency positions were filled.

Underfunding Residency Drives Competition

Alright, so the shortage of residency positions creates a bottleneck. You have more medical students graduating from medical school than available residency positions. This issue is further compounded when you consider the number U.S. citizens graduating from Caribbean medical schools or international medical graduates who are also applying for residency training in the U.S.

Who does this burden fall onto? Certainly not the hospitals. The hospitals have more applicants to their residency programs than they know what to do with. The burden falls onto the medical students. The average medical school debt in the U.S. is approximately $200,000.

In order to become board certified and begin making a six figure salary to help pay off their debt burden over the next 10 years, medical students must compete with one another to get into residency. More emphasis is placed on achieving higher and higher test scores, padding one’s resume with extracurriculars, and publishing scientific or clinical research.

But how do you turn off the need to compete when it has been programmed into you throughout medical school and even in college? Arguably, this sense of competition directly impacts a resident’s ability to work as a team player with other healthcare professionals, trainees, and patients. How could it not?

Underfunding Residency Drives Exploitation

It also predisposes residents to being abused and exploited by their programs. Because a greater emphasis is placed on physicians needing to be board certified in their specialty, which only occurs after completing a residency program, the resident is in a very vulnerable position.

The residency programs can force residents to take on dangerously high patient loads with insufficient supervision, pressure residents into working more than 80 hours a week and downplaying their hour logs, and manipulate the curriculum to better serve the needs of the hospital rather than the learning needs of the residents. Residents are very unlikely to speak up about such abuse and exploitation because they fear retaliation.

Even though the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education exists in theory to protect the educational and work experience of residents, residency program faculty can falsely accuse residents of not meeting subjective competencies such as communication and professionalism. What this means is that if residents try to speak up against the way they are treated, they can be placed on remediation and ultimately fired on the whim of their program faculty.

It is incredibly challenging for residents who are fired or have a record of remediation to finish their training at another program. Hence the reason why the majority of residents remain silent about the mistreatment they and their peers face.

Competition + Exploitation = Broken Doctors

What kind of physicians do we create in this educational environment of competition, silent mistreatment, and abuse? How can these residents become well-adjusted, compassionate physicians under these circumstances? I argue believe that many cannot, which is why we see such high rates of burnout, substance abuse, and mental illness in healthcare providers.

In summary, the U.S. healthcare system is deeply flawed, in part due to underfunding residency programs. A shortage of residency positions drives up competition and leads to the silent exploitation, abuse, and mistreatment of medical students and residents. If we want a better healthcare system, we must be willing to advocate for better medical education.

What is the best strategy for writing a medical school personal statement?

1. Start with an outline

According to the AAMC, the length of your medical school personal statement must be no longer than 5,300 characters, including spaces. This is approximately one page in length. Start with an outline before writing your personal comments essay and make sure the most important pieces of information can be included in your 1-page essay.

2. Who are you?

This is what to cover in paragraph one. Tell the admissions team some key highlights in the lifelong story of who you are. Each of us has gems in our history that we can add to make this section sparkle.

 Did you have any significant struggles you have had to work through? Were you captain of the robotics team in high school? Pick some key highlights from your life and weave them in.

3. Why medicine?

Paragraph two. You have to dig deep for this one, because the admissions team is tired of hearing the same answers on repeat, such as “I really want to help people” or “I wanted to be a doctor since I was 5!” Those may be true, but you need to get to the root of why you are doing this and put it into one paragraph.

For some people, it was their own experience as a patient or a loved one as a patient. For others it was not having access to quality healthcare in their community. Each of us has our own unique why. 

Take some time to really think about this, not just for the sake of your application, but also for the sake of yourself. It is scary to ask ourselves these big questions, because sometimes we discover that maybe we don’t have a good reason why. It’s better to know this now while you’re applying than to be miserable and in debt in a few years. 

4. What do you have to offer?

Your final paragraph should highlight your key characteristics and experiences that will set you up to be successful in medicine. Medical school admissions committees want to know why they should pick you rather than the hundreds (if not thousands) of other applicants that are also applying to their program. 

This is also a time to briefly mention any plans you may have while in medical school or afterwards. For example, some people want to pursue certain kinds of research while in medical school or perhaps have ideas for service projects. Others have specific ideas of what specialty they want to pursue after medical school. 

Your final paragraph is your attempt to politely and humbly “close the deal” with them and create a call to action for them to choose you.

5. Address red flags

If you have any red flags that will come up in your application (e.g. bad grades, legal issues, a low step score), you must address these in your medical school personal statement. This is your opportunity to come out in front of any issues that a committee might see and otherwise dismiss your application without giving you the opportunity to interview. 

Many applicants are afraid to address their red flags in their personal comments essay because they think it will make them look like a worse applicant. The opposite is true when done tactfully.

When addressing red flags, make sure to use that opportunity to explain (without making excuses) why that happened and what you learned from it.

6. Turn obstacles into learning points

Medical schools love a resilient applicant. Resiliency is crucial to surviving medical school, residency, and on into medical practice. If you can turn your obstacles or red flags into moments of resiliency, medical schools will be impressed. 

It also shows them that you are willing to learn from your mistakes. You will make a lot of mistakes during your medical career, and having the ability to recognize them as mistakes and learn from them will take you far.

7. Always be authentic

It can be intimidating to write a personal statement, and it can be tempting to want to hide behind your accomplishments. You should highlight your accomplishments, but above all else it’s important to be authentic. 

Medical school admissions teams want to know what you are really like and they want to know if you would be a good fit at their program. They want to help shape human doctors, not robots. Don’t be anyone but yourself when you write your personal statement.

8. Use caution with humor or quotes

Going back to being authentic, it’s important not to use gimmicks to make your medical school personal statement stand out. If you are genuinely a funny person and you are confident you can add a little humor into your personal statement, be my guest. If you are an avid reader or writer and want to include a quote that seems fitting, go for it.

The key is to not come off as phony or fake. Be yourself and don’t try to add things to your writing that you wouldn’t otherwise do or say. 

9. Proofread and check grammar

Maybe one or two days after having finished your personal comments essay, be sure to go back over with a fine-tooth comb to look for any typos, grammatical errors, or awkward phrases. Beyond spell-check, you can also use tools like grammarly. 

Have several people read your personal statement to help pick up anything you might have missed. A fresh pair of eyes always helps!

10. You control your narrative

Remember that you are in control of your narrative. This is true in life as a general principle, but it is especially true when it comes to promoting yourself. While you should never lie on your medical school personal statement, you also don’t need to tell the entire story of who you are and what has happened in your life. 

You control the version of your life that you put forward for others to see. Don’t underestimate how much power you have. Your story is uniquely yours, and you are in the driver’s seat when sharing it with others.

Summary

Writing a personal statement doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. I hope in reading this article you realized that you can write a great medical school personal statement to help your application stand out. 

If you are wanting help with finding the best gems to highlight in your personal statement, fill out the contact form here and Dr. Jess will set up a time to meet with you to make your application the best it can be.

Best Strategies to Study for the MCAT

1. Be realistic about how much time you have to prepare

Your study schedule will greatly depend on how long you have to prepare for your test. The shorter the timeline, the more hours you will likely need to dedicate on a daily basis to study for the MCAT.

2. Pick no more than two main study tools to prepare

The two study tools you must have are a good question bank and a resource to help you review any content gaps you have. You can waste a lot of time trying out too many study tools or using too many study tools at once. Spend a little time upfront experimenting with a few different tools to find the couple you like and then stick with them.

3. Don’t waste your time trying to master every topic

The MCAT covers so many topics and subtopics that it is not possible for any person taking the test to be good at every section. That is ok! It’s important to focus your time and effort on the areas that will give you the biggest gains in the time you have to study for the MCAT.

4. The secret to success is progress and efficiency, not perfection

Your goal should be to make the biggest gains while you study to get the best score on the MCAT, not to get every question right or be good at every topic. Start by taking an honest inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on the areas that you can improve upon the most with the least amount of time and effort. 

5. Focus more on test taking strategies rather than content knowledge

The dirty secret of standardized tests is that you have to be good at test-taking skills like time management, active process of elimination, and critical thinking. While you need a content knowledge base for each of the three science sections on the MCAT, you will make greater gains focusing on test taking strategies.

6. The more passage-based questions you do, the better you will do

The best way to become familiar with the test format is to do practice questions. On the MCAT, over 75% of the questions are passage-based. Many students think they need to start with content studying, but you will learn the most from diving into questions and learning from the wrong answers. The more passages you do, the more you will see which topics test writers like to ask about and how the questions can be asked. 

7. Create a study schedule that is tailored to your needs

The more specific you can be about your study schedule, the better. Don’t make a generic study schedule that says something like “study CARS on Monday, Bio on Tuesday, etc.” Your study schedule should be detailed to take out the guesswork. List what resources you will use, which topics you will cover, and how long you will spend on each. Be sure to also include break time.

8. Dedicate time to study for the MCAT six days per week

Let’s get real for a minute. Some of you reading this are working full-time, taking multiple college classes, may be married, and may have kids. Not everyone has the ability to take time off to exclusively focus on preparing for the MCAT. However, every single person can find time six days per week to study for the MCAT, even if some days that is only five minutes. You read that right, even just five minutes! Consistency is key to building any habit.

9. State-dependent learning is critical

I always recommend to my students that one of their six study days be reserved for “practice test” day. To activate state-dependent learning, I recommend you simulate test conditions such as wearing ear plugs, not having your phone next to you, not eating or drinking anything during this time, and being somewhere public that has some minor distractions (e.g. your local library) while doing practice questions. You can also build endurance by doing study questions for longer and longer periods of time (e.g. starting with 1 hour in a row, then the next week 2 hours with a 10 minute break in-between, etc.) 

10. Track your Progress

Having a system to track your progress prevents you from spending hours and hours on preparation only to have minimal improvement. One very simple strategy is to keep track of how long you spend on questions and your overall accuracy (e.g. number of questions right out of total number of questions attempted). You want to increase your speed while improving and maintaining accuracy.

11. Don’t be afraid to move your test date

If after consistently tracking your progress you anticipate you will not be able to achieve your desired score with the time you have left, consider moving your test date to a later date. While many applicants take the MCAT more than once, it is best to take it once and achieve the score you want rather than having to take it multiple times. 

12. Take time for self care

It is common for students preparing to take the MCAT to feel burned out at times. To perform your best, you need to be in good mental and physical health. There’s a reason I recommend studying six days per week and not seven; one day per week is all yours. Spend this day on some well-deserved self-care and consider doing something fun with your friends or family. Starting early with learning how to balance work and play will serve you well as you continue with your medical career.

13. Don’t compare yourself to others

Many of my students struggle with test-taking anxiety, imposter syndrome, and decreased self-confidence. I find that this often stems from feelings of inadequacy when they compare themselves to others. The truth is that there is only one person like you, and your MCAT score is only one piece of your application for medical school. Focus on your own progress over time, not how you compare to others. 

Summary

With the right strategies to study for the MCAT, anyone can make impressive gains in the time they have to prepare. Take some time to optimize your study plan with these tips and let us know which ones helped you the best. If you are interested in 1 on 1 help with creating an individualized study plan for the MCAT or with your AMCAS application, contact us here. Happy studying!

Top Ideas for Designing Your Life

• Rank your values and priorities
• Assess your strengths, weaknesses, and current skillset
• Pick your top 1-3 goals and break into smaller, micro goals
• Stay accountable with an accountability partner
• Get support from friends, families, your local community, and online communities
• Pair new habits with something you enjoy
• Be patient, be kind to yourself, and don’t compare your life design to others

1. Start with your values

Every single one of us has values that influence everything we do. To help you decide on your top three values (which are whatever you want), check out this article for a free guide on choosing your values. Go with your gut and don’t overthink this exercise!

2. Rank your priorities

Now that you have your top values in mind, start to think about what your main priorities are in your life. What are the top three? Your relationships? Your health? Your religious practice? Whatever they are, make sure to write them down.

3. What do you like about your life right now and what don’t you like?

It’s crucial to be honest with yourself about where you are right now and where you want to go. Before we can move forward, we have to be aware of and accept where we are RIGHT NOW.

4. Take stock of your strengths

Did you know focusing on your strengths is far more effective than trying to make up for your weaknesses? A study by Gallup showed that companies who help their employees work with their strengths rather than focusing on improving their weaknesses are so much more successful! Take a note from Gallup and focus on your strengths.

5. Be honest about your weaknesses

While we don’t want to focus a lot of time and attention on our weaknesses, it’s still helpful to be aware of them. Be honest with yourself about your weaknesses. Are you a perfectionist? Do you procrastinate? Do you have a hard time staying organized? Do you have social anxiety? Write all of these down without judging yourself or beating yourself up.

6. Ask your trusted friends and/or family for feedback

Asking supportive friends and family what they think your strengths and weaknesses are can be eye-opening. While I know this can be intimidating, it’s a great way to get a different perspective from people who know you really well. These people should have your best interests at heart.

7. Consider taking an aptitude test

Some people have a hard time figuring out what they might be good at. If you’ve done everything above and are still struggling, consider taking an aptitude test online to give you some ideas.

8. What did you want to do as a child?

It might sound silly, but this can be a great exercise to remember what you used to like before society told you what was expected of you. Channel your inner child and see what comes up! Even if it doesn’t become a career opportunity, it may give you insight into new hobbies you could try.

9. What would you do if you had enough money, and no one would judge you?

Most people are concerned with having enough money. And even if you are super wealthy, you may still be afraid of being judged, ridiculed, or seen differently for pursuing certain interests. Take a deep breath and for a few minutes let your brain wander without fear of not having enough money or of being judged. See what comes up.

10. Identify your obstacles

Time for a reality check. What is preventing you from pursuing your dreams right now? This could be money, time, geography, relationships, commitments. Often times we are our own biggest obstacle. Whatever you uncover, write it down.

11. Cross off obstacles that aren’t realistic

Sometimes the obstacles we create are imagined. They’re not even real! Take a moment to look back over your top three values and priorities you listed earlier. Can you cross off any obstacles that are fear-driven that you could reasonably overcome if you wanted to? Do that now.

12. What skills do you have?

You listed your strengths earlier. Now write down a list of skills that you have. Skills are sets of knowledge you can apply in som kind of tangible way. For example, maybe you are skilled at writing, singing, computer programming, gardening, painting, fixing cars, cooking, organizing.

The list of possible skills is endless. Don’t limit yourself to your credentials or job history. Your hobbies and the things you’ve dabbled in over the years count too!

13. Make a list of all jobs that interest you

Dream big or small! These jobs can be related or totally separate from each other. Don’t limit yourself yet, just let the brainstorm do its magic.

14. Pick your top 3 jobs or careers that appeal to you the most

Now that you’ve finished brainstorming, go back to the lists you created of your values, priorities, strengths, and skills. What jobs best match your values, priorities, strengths, and skills?

15. Research your top 3 jobs online or at your library

What does a day in the life look like? Are there any certifications you must have or new skills you’d need to acquire? What kinds of people gravitate toward these jobs/careers? Are there any barriers to entry to think about?

16. Get firsthand information

Reach out to any family, friends, or acquaintances you have that work in these fields (or fields related to them) to ask if you can pick their brain. If you don’t know anyone in these fields personally, you can still make connections!

The internet has made it easier than ever to connect with people you’ve never met before.

17. Sign up for a professional email address

If you don’t already have one, be sure to sign up for an email address that looks professional. Most people use their first and last name, or a first initial and their last name. You can very easily get a free account through Gmail or Outlook.

18. Make an account on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great place to network and reach out to people who might be able to give you helpful advice or even leads as you’re exploring other jobs and careers.

19. Join groups via social media

This is a great way to learn and get support from other people who share common interests with you. Facebook is a popular social media tool for this.

20. Get connected in your local community

Get in touch with your local chamber of commerce or economic development committee to learn about resources and groups in your community! I can tell you that they will be thrilled to help connect you.

21. Find a mentor

Having a mentor is one of the best ways to gain valuable knowledge and insight. You can find mentors through your local connections, google searches, or social media. They don’t have to live in the same town as you! Thanks to modern technology, you can have virtual meetings with anyone in the world!

22. Make a pros and cons list for each job

On a piece of paper or on your computer, create a basic table. List the pros and cons for each job you’re considering. This may help bring more clarity about which one rises to the top.

23. Choose one job to take the next step

Don’t agonize over this decision—you can always change your mind later! You don’t have to disrupt your entire life to take a few steps in a new direction. This is not an all-or-none game unless you want it to be.

24. What are your top 1-3 non-work goals?

We’ve spent a lot of time looking at how to create a new path related to work, but it’s also important to consider the other areas in your life you are craving change. Other big areas could be your physical health, mental health, relationships, spirituality, play time, philanthropy. It’s totally up to you what you want to work on!

25. Step outside your comfort zone

If we continue to do the same thing we’ve always done, we will continue to get the same results we’ve always had. Einstein believed this was the definition of insanity to expect otherwise. Be brave and step out of your comfort zone.

You can always start small. Try a new exercise class, go to a new restaurant, say hello to a stranger in the grocery store. Just do something different.

26. Decide how you will know when you have reached these goals

When you ask yourself if you’ve reached your goals, your answer should be “yes” or “not yet.” To be able to do that, we must be very specific about what we want and how we will measure our progress along the way.

27. Create an action plan with baby steps

Setting micro goals is way more effective than setting big goals we never attempt. Break your goals into small steps that are easy to achieve and can be measured. Even the tiniest bit of progress is still progress.

28. Create a timeline for each actionable step

Deciding on a timeline for when you will reach your micro goals helps you to stay accountable. Don’t agonize over this because it will probably change later, and that’s ok! Just get started.

29. Set aside regular time for designing your life

Even five minutes a day specifically set aside for you to intentionally design your life is important. Something is better than nothing. If not daily, make sure you’re checking in with yourself weekly.

30. Put it on your calendar

Another way to stay accountable as you’re building a new habit is to mark it on your calendar. It’s helps reinforce the importance of taking time for your new habit and will prevent you from scheduling something else during that same time.

31. Pair it with something that makes you feel good

Research shows that when we pair a new habit with a reward, we are far more likely to continue with our new habit. This could look like pairing your habit of sitting down to design your life with a yummy latte. Get creative about your reward!

32. Find an accountability partner to help stay on track

Ask a friend, family member, or someone in one of your groups to check-in with you at least weekly (if not daily) to help you stay on track. You can celebrate your victories together and lament over any setbacks. Having a person to help you stay accountable can really help a new habit stick.

33. Track your progress over time

Putting a lot of time or effort into something doesn’t necessarily guarantee results. We have to be doing things that actually move the needle. Make sure you are tracking your results over time to see if what you are doing is leading to progress. If not, make changes and see what happens with those changes.

34. Do a comprehensive check-in with yourself at least once a month

Revisit your values, priorities, goals, and progress you are making towards those goals. What is working? What is not working? What do you need to change? This is a time to be honest with yourself without judging.

35. Celebrate your victories

Share your successes with the people who support you and reward yourself for meeting your micro goals as you go. No progress is too small to celebrate!

36. Focus on the process

Be the lead scientist of the experiment that is designing your life. That means being curious, analyzing data, and not taking it personally if you have an unexpected result. Your growth as a person matters more than any individual outcome.

37. Learn from mistakes and road bumps

Instead of beating yourself up for making mistakes or getting upset with obstacles that arise, use them as an opportunity to learn. Believe it or not, failure is incredibly valuable for us to build resilience and gives us information on how to start again.

38. Journal

Taking time to reflect is crucial whenever we are trying to build something new. Make time at least each week to journal about any thoughts or feelings that are coming up for you.

39. Take time to rest and recharge

It can be easy to burn out when we are committed to working hard and achieving our goals. Be sure to take time to sleep, eat well, exercise, and do the things you enjoy.

40. Progress, not perfection

Remember that embracing “good enough” isn’t being lazy. Progress is what is important. Striving for perfection is impossible and will always make you feel inadequate.

41. Be kind to yourself

Making change is incredibly difficult. It is uncomfortable, scary, and often painful. Be kind to yourself as you are learning and growing. Whenever you doubt yourself, review your values and priorities.

42. Remind yourself that you’re not alone

To struggle is to be human. Millions of people struggle from time to time with feelings of unworthiness, self-doubt, inadequacy. We all make mistakes.

43. Choose a mantra or favorite quote

Print it out and hang it up somewhere you will see it every day. Having that reminder will reinforce why you are doing what you are doing. This can help disrupt that thought loop of self-doubt in your brain.

44. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Your time and energy are precious. Don’t waste them on things that don’t matter. As my mom used to say, “Don’t cry over spilled milk.”

45. Don’t compare yourself to others

Comparison prevents many people from having the courage to express themselves and pursue their dreams. Stay in your lane and focus on your own progress, not how you compare to anyone else.

46. Don’t get discouraged

Crappy things will happen. You may get rejected sometimes, someone you love might tell you what you’re doing is silly, you will make mistakes and sometimes fail. But that’s normal. They are called growing pains for a reason.

47. It’s ok to adjust your expectations and goals

Sometimes our first expectations are too lofty, or circumstances change that require us to change our plans. There is nothing wrong with that. Make changes and keep cruising.

48. Be patient

It takes time, effort, and persistence to make lasting changes when designing your life.

49. Say goodbye to thinking that doesn’t serve you

It is difficult to learn or try something new if a voice inside of your head is always telling you that you suck. Whenever that voice comes into your head, say hello to it and then kindly ask it to leave. Sometimes I say “Hi self-doubt. I’m working on some very important things right now, so you’re going to need to leave.” It may seem silly at first, but over time you can retrain your thought patterns.

50. Set healthy boundaries

Those critical voices in our heads can get louder when we listen to people in our lives who don’t support us. It is not selfish to set boundaries with people who are making it difficult for you to design your life. They may be upset at first, but if they really love you, they will find new ways to support you.

51. Have fun

Be sure to add in laughter, silliness, and play into your new life design. As adults, many of us forget that play isn’t just for kids! You are never too old to laugh and play!

52. Share your experience

It can be scary to share what we are going through with other people, but it allows other people to support us and for them to feel supported as well. Many people will be inspired by what you are doing, and you may give them the courage to speak up or change their lives too.

53. Remember you are enough

No matter what you do with your life, no matter how much money you earn, and no matter what you achieve, you are enough.

Summary

Regardless of where you are in this process of designing your life, be proud of your willingness to take charge of your life. This is arguably one of the most difficult things we are tasked to do. Before you close this article, pick one of the 53 ideas above and get started. It can be intimidating to take the lead in designing your life, but I promise it is worth the satisfaction that comes from living authentically.

If you are looking for one-on-one guidance to take those next steps towards designing the life of your dreams, reach out to Dr. Jess here.