Urologists must alter how they practice in this era of change and uncertainty. Since the pandemic, many urology practices have experienced health care workers leaving the profession. As a result, doctors must see more patients and spend less time with each patient. In addition, there are declining reimbursements and Medicare cuts, rising overhead costs, and decreasing profits that we receive. There is also the problem of burnout, which has reached epidemic proportions, where more than 50% of physicians, including urologists, are experiencing 1 or more symptoms of burnout.¹ In addition, there are declining reimbursements and Medicare cuts, rising overhead costs, and decreasing incomes.

This article emphasizes the importance of efficiency plus techniques to make your professional life more effective and productive. Remember, it’s not the hours you put in the day but what you put into the hours that counts.

Have you ever noticed how efficient and effective you are the day before you leave for vacation? Most of us function at a higher level when preparing for a trip. Why does this occur?

First, you listed what you need to accomplish the night before you depart from your practice.

Second, you prioritized the list, indicating what must be done, what should be done, and what can be delegated to others.

Third, you promised yourself that you would accomplish everything on the list so that you didn’t leave any loose ends for your colleagues. You want to be able to enjoy the vacation without any feelings of guilt for having left behind unfinished tasks or jobs.

Fourth, you arrived at your office early, saw several patients, and didn’t stop to have that extra cup of coffee in the doctor’s lounge. You probably passed along the day-before-vacation enthusiasm to your staff.

Fifth, you achieved some of the tasks between patient visits and completed everything on your list, including completing your electronic medical records.

Sixth, you worked with a higher level of energy and enthusiasm. This is most likely due to the excitement of the impending vacation.

Finally, you finished the day feeling good about your accomplishments, and since you were efficient and effective, it’s a wonderful feeling to check off everything on your list at the end of the day.

It would be nice to have this day-before-vacation mentality every day. Unfortunately, it is impossible to go on a vacation every day!

However, it is possible to incorporate this philosophy into our personal life. All we need to do is remember that what we do off the job determines how far we go on the job. Consider taking 3 to 5 minutes every evening to plan your next day. In that case, you can put that day-before-vacation philosophy into your daily professional life.

One of the easiest methods is to use your mobile phone to write things down. Every evening, write down what must be done the next day and what could be done if there is spare time. I suggest scheduling exercise, recreation, professional and nonprofessional reading, and, most importantly of all, family time.

Bottom line: Today, most of us are working to the maximum, trying to put more minutes and hours into our days. But don’t mistake movement to make more money, and don’t be faked out by being busy. Use your mobile device and incorporate the day-before-vacation mentality into your professional life. You will find that you will be more efficient and happier and most likely get home for dinner.