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Recording live from the Washington coast - because sometimes the best content comes from breaking your own rules.

The Big Question That Changes Everything

Last week we talked about what's NOT possible - all those unrealistic expectations we carry. This week? We're flipping the script. What IS actually possible when you stop following rules that don't serve you?

Breaking the Rules (Starting with Mine)

I'm literally recording this on a beach with my kids digging in the sand behind me. Three years ago, I would have written a formal script and recorded in perfect conditions. Today? I'm embracing the messy, real, human version of showing up.

Because here's what I've learned: The rules we create for ourselves are often the biggest barriers to what's actually possible.

The Three Questions That Open Possibility

1. What rules have you created that aren't really necessary?
We've all internalized that "angry old white man" voice from medical training - the one that taught us to police ourselves into perfectionism. But some of those rules? They're not serving you.

Real talk: I used to dutifully fill out the "double book schedule" every day at my old job, choosing when I wanted to be overworked. Until I realized - I don't have to participate in planned incompetence. So I stopped writing anything down. Zero people commented. Zero consequences.

Your turn: What workplace "requirements" are actually just expectations you can quietly opt out of?

2. When you zoom out from your immediate circumstances, what's actually important about this moment in your life?

I could have canceled this family trip because we're navigating a health crisis with one of my kids. My crisis-mode brain said "no fun allowed." But when I zoomed out, I remembered: I want my kids to have good memories of this summer, even during challenging times.

The pandemic affected our kids when they were young. Now they're 10 and 13, fully conscious and creating lasting memories. That perspective shifted everything.

3. How will you use this information to take action?
Medicine will always operate like everything is a crisis. Healthcare will always want you sprinting. But your career is a marathon, not a sprint. You get to choose your pace.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

• Sometimes it's quietly not participating in systems that don't serve you
• Sometimes it's scheduling the "good enough" vacation instead of waiting for perfect
• Sometimes it's turning off the computer to be present with your family
• Sometimes it's choosing the hotel with the pool and free breakfast because that's what your kids love (even if you don't)

The Integration

What will you let go of to create space for what's important to you?

This isn't about adding more to your plate. It's about questioning the rules, gaining perspective on what matters, and making space for what you actually want.

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Support the show

To learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.

Want to contact me directly?
Email: [email protected]

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@MeganMeloMD