• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Dr. Ernie Ward's top 5 tips for work-life balance

August 1, 2012

Learn how to keep your personal life and professional life in balance

1. Set priorities. Too few veterinarians establish life priorities. I suggest taking some time to seriously reflect on what matters most to you: spending time with loved ones, physical activities, community involvement, or professional duties. Once you establish what matters most, decisions where you have to refuse one thing for another become clearer. While this is always easier said than done, understanding what’s most important to you helps you keep life balanced and reduces regrets.

2. Chart a life plan. The most successful people I know didn’t achieve greatness by accident. It was by design. Sit down and determine where you what to be and what you want to be doing over the next 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. Once you have an idea of what you want to be doing at different stages in your life, you can begin planning on how to get there. Too many people mistakenly believe good things will just happen to them; that’s called luck. Sadly, luck is extremely difficult to schedule and plan your retirement around. The plans you make in your 20s and 30s greatly impact your 50s and 60s. If you’re in your 40s or 50s and haven’t started planning, don’t worry—it’s not too late. Assemble a team of accountants, financial planners, and family members to chart a course to future lasting happiness. Keep in mind, money alone can’t buy you happiness.

Advertisement

3. Life balance isn’t 50:50. Think of life as a series of chapters. Some chapters will be more devoted to work while others will be focused on family. Problems arise when the book of your life becomes a single story line. Have a plan and understand that during certain times your priorities may be required to flex a bit to accomplish long—term happiness and security.

4. Stay healthy. Life balance is meaningless if you don’t have your health. I’ve seen too many veterinarians who’ve worked too hard for too long find that when they’re finally able to focus on their family, their health betrays them. Regardless of how busy and chaotic your life may seem, take time to care for yourself. Otherwise, your future may be not be nearly as fun as you’d hoped.

5. Live in the present. Each day is a gift; and you should enjoy it. Do at least one activity that brings you joy every day. Many veterinarians live their life dwelling on past mistakes and desperately preparing for the future. In doing so, they forget to appreciate the present. Don’t let this happen to you. Set aside a few minutes each day to reflect and be grateful for what you’re doing now.

Related Content:

AssociatesWellbeing & LifestyleLeadership & Personal Growth
Advice panel for women interested in the veterinary field
Advice panel for women interested in the veterinary field
Thriving when life is hard
Thriving when life is hard
The impact of well-being talks at our Fetch conferences
The impact of well-being talks at our Fetch conferences

Advertisement

Latest News

Morris Animal Foundation appoints new chief program officer

CDC issues warning over cat-transmitted sporotrichosis

An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing

3 categories of inappetence in dogs

View More Latest News
Advertisement