Last year, 2023, was a very heavy year.
It was our first full year in Spokane, WA. It was Inaara’s first full year with bilateral cochlear implants. It was my first full year as a first time dental practice owner. It was Bronson’s first full year as an MD/ICU Anesthesiologist (post residency and fellowship). To say that 2023 was a year full of “firsts” would truly be an understatement for us.
Spokane, WA has been a really tough transition for me and my family since relocating from Southern California. For those of you who have been following me on my blog, instagram, facebook, etc. you know that I have spoken about this transition quite in-depth. We have struggled with transitioning to a new culture, weather, lifestyle, and of course city.
Inaara has completely thrived with cochlear implants. She has been making leaps in HOPE school, speech therapy, montessori, swimming, and now dance class. We are so thrilled by her progress.
Bronson’s transition from residency/fellowship into a full time job has been really tough for our family. His schedule was really hard to manage and we have worked really hard to tweek his schedule to fit our lifestyle and our family needs, and his own needs. Sometimes we forget how many years of his life he dedicated to his education and how he has to set boundaries as an employee because he is also a father, a husband, and a person and he needs to prioritize his life.
Speaking of Bronson’s transition, this has by far been the hardest year of my life as a mom, dental business owner, dentist, and wife. 2023 really challenged me to get out of my comfort zone, grow into a business that I have dreamed about since I was a dental hygienist – but I need learn to set boundaries. Again, we tend to forget the number of years I put into being in school, being an associate, becoming a wife and mother of two, and then opening my own business. Your whole life is consumed and every thought is delegated to some aspect of it and it’s really hard to compartmentalize.
I listened to a podcast the other day about work/life balance. It was a man who was so focused on his future and his business that it ended up costing him his entire family. That really made me think that although I own a business – my patients are extremely important to me; my team is extremely important to me; my business as a whole is extremely important to me; my reputation as a dentist, my ability to perform ethical, safe, and positive outcome general dentistry is really important to me; however, nothing is more important than making sure I leave business at business and when I enter the home, I become a mom and a wife. I have started bringing so much of my business life into my home, because it consumes me for 40+ hours a week, that it is so hard not to allow it to affect your evening life and weekend life.
I have to learn that that not all patients will choose to do the treatment I recommend; staff will turn over and either retire, find a better fit for them, or just not want to work with me; I have to remember that the business will be there after I am done fullfiling my role as a dentist.
My resolution for 2024 is to be more present in the situation I am in at that moment. If I am at work I will be present for my patients – I will listen, emphathize, treat them to the best of my ability. When I am work I will be a leader for my team and allow them to come to me when there is a problem and we can problem solve together, we can learn from our mistakes, and we can become better team members for eachother. When I am at home, I will give my everything to my children and spouse. When I am alone, I will take the time to take care of myself whether it is a yoga class, washing and exfoliating my face (iykyk), going for a massage, meditating, etc.
*I need to be more present. I need to not allow work to come in and affect my home.*
xx
