Setting clear boundaries in your career is critical to maintaining a good work-life balance, positive professional relationships, and your own mental sanity. And setting boundaries is especially important when you’re a doctor, where you not only experience a lot of stress and pressure, but your own well-being can affect your ability to take care of the people depending on you for care.

On episode 95 of the Career Relaunch® podcast, Ali Jawa, a practicing endocrinologist turned medical director shares his thoughts on setting boundaries, acknowledging career stagnation, and making a non-traditional move within one’s industry.  I also share some thoughts on defining your walkaway points in your career during the Mental Fuel® segment.

Key Career Takeaways

1. At some point, you have to make a choice about the boundaries you’re going to set between your personal and professional life.
2. The intellectual challenge in one’s career is crucial for personal and professional growth, as it encourages continuous learning and the development of new skills and perspectives.
3. Having your feet on two different boats moving in different directions is extremely challenging. While you can bounce back and forth for a while, at some point, you have to leap and commit to one or the other.
4. You need to get clear with yourself about “why” you want to pursue a specific career path.
5. You can’t keep planning forever. You have to take action to honor those things you value most in your career and life.

Resources Mentioned

• Ali mentioned Rich Dad Poor Dad, which was a pivotal book that helped me redefine how he thought about his own career.
• He also mentioned Marshall Goldsmith’s description of our different identities (programmed vs. created).

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Listener Challenge

During this episode’s Mental Fuel® segment, I talked about the importance of defining what your action threshold or tipping point will be before you take action.

Think about which milestone you want to cross, what amount of time should pass, what state a relationship should reach, or how badly you’ll let your well-being suffer. What will it take, how far will you allow yourself to go before you can no longer NOT act?

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About Ali Jawa, Medical Director at Wilcare