Setting Priorities For 2015 In Practice And Life

On New Year’s Eve, I was having a conversation with my 15-year-old son, who asked why people get so excited about the beginning of a new year. He said the date was randomly selected hundreds of years ago and really is not associated with anything significant like the Fourth of July, for instance. He could not understand why people put so much significance on the start of the new year. To him, it was just another day in the year.

It is true that in our society, we look at the new year as a start of something fresh. If our previous year was not so gratifying, we have plans to do something better. If our previous year was terrific, we still have greater expectations for the incoming year. Many people use the new year to make a resolution to improve on their lives or the lives of other people.

In medicine, it is a time of great consternation. Patient insurance deductibles are fresh and those deductibles are going higher and higher. Patients do not want to pay their deductible and would prefer to have providers “send me the bill” despite their responsibility. Is this the year that ICD-10 will be required or will it be a new version later? How will we as physicians continue to successfully make a living when reimbursements decrease yet the cost of doing business goes up? These are just of a few of the questions we face.

It is common for people to set goals or specific plans when it comes to business for the new year. Big businesses usually have a plan for the coming year. Most businesses have created budgets and plans for the year. I will be the first to proclaim that all of us should do the same when it comes to our individual practices or lives. However, there are more important things to consider for the upcoming year.

Throughout my life, I have been extremely lucky to have an amazing relationship with my family. In the week following Christmas, my parents, my wife and three teenage children, my sister, her husband and three daughters spent a vacation together. We are fortunate to have three generations intact and enjoy spending time together. It is exceptionally special that our children can spend significant quality time with their grandparents and learn the lessons of life that only 70+ years of experience brings. On this particular trip, we asked our parents to share memories of their parents so that our children could learn the history of our family. Our children were enthralled with the stories and asked question after question.

All of this made me reflect on my own commitments in life. It is easy to get caught up in seeing patients, running the business and all the other things that come along with our chosen professions. However, as we look into the new year (skeptical or not), I encourage you to look at the priorities in your life. Who or what is really important?

I often reflect on who the most important people in my life are. When it comes down to it for me, I think about who would really be affected if I died. My family and close friends would mourn. Patients would feel a loss but find another doctor. Casual friends would be momentarily sad. Business associates or industry I work with would quickly find replacements, but my family would be hurting and missing me. When one thinks of placing priorities, I believe that choosing the people who care most about you is where you should expend efforts and time.

If you are considering a New Year’s resolution, think about dedicating yourself to reinvigorating the relationships in your life that are most meaningful and I guarantee your 2015 will be a gratifying year.