How the Behavior Gap Delays Physician Financial Independence | Ep487

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What happens when money, meant as a tool, becomes the driving force of our lives, sidelining health, family, and purpose?

In this transformative episode of Succeeded Medicine Podcast, Carl Richards, joins Dr. Cobin Soelberg to unpack how society—especially in the U.S.—has "lost the plot" on money. Drawing from his four years in New Zealand, where he noticed a cultural shift prioritizing life over work, Carl challenges the Western tendency to make money and work the organizing principles of existence, often at the expense of sleep, health, and relationships. He shares a vivid metaphor of money as a discouraged golden retriever, earnestly trying but failing to deliver intangibles like love, happiness, or self-worth. For physicians, this resonates deeply with the pressures of high-stakes careers and financial expectations. 

Carl offers actionable insights: assign money specific "jobs" it can handle (e.g., funding experiences or security) while releasing it from impossible tasks (e.g., defining self-esteem). He introduces the concept of "forcing functions"—deliberate commitments like signing up for a retreat or coaching a child’s soccer team—to align actions with values. Reflecting on his retreats, including a women’s financial advisor event and an upcoming couples’ retreat, Carl emphasizes creating safe spaces for tough conversations about risk, uncertainty, and values. He advocates for quiet reflection—whether through meditation, gardening, or mountain biking—to escape the "matrix" of comparison and competition, a trap many physicians face in demanding healthcare systems. 

Three Actionable Takeaways: 

• Reframe Money as a Tool to Serve Your Values: Physicians often face societal pressure to prioritize financial success, but Carl emphasizes that money is a tool, not the goal. It excels at funding tangible needs like a secure retirement or family vacations but fails at delivering intangibles like love, self-worth, or happiness. To apply this, list your core values (e.g., family time, patient care, personal health), then evaluate your financial decisions—such as investments or practice expenses—to ensure they align with those values, reducing stress and fostering purpose.
• Use Forcing Functions to Drive Intentional Change: Carl’s concept of "forcing functions" involves committing to actions that push you toward your desired life, even if uncomfortable. For physicians, this might mean signing up to coach your child’s soccer team to prioritize family, enrolling in a mindfulness retreat to combat burnout, or scheduling regular "quiet time" to reflect on career goals.
• Prioritize Quiet Reflection to Escape the Comparison Trap: The healthcare system’s competitive "matrix" can erode well-being, but Carl advocates for intentional pauses—through meditation, nature, or activities like mountain biking—to rediscover what truly matters. Physicians can carve out 10-20 minutes daily for journaling or mindfulness to clarify their "world," as inspired by David Whyte’s Sweet Darkness. This practice counters burnout by helping you focus on what brings you alive, such as patient connections or personal growth, rather than external metrics like income or status.

About the Show:

Succeed In Medicine  covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school!