Maximize Your Time: Essential Toolkit for Physician Time Management
An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in December, 2023
Physicians aren’t magicians, but the demands of the job often make it feel like you’re expected to conjure time out of thin air. It’s not your imagination. A recent study found that in order for a primary care physician to provide guideline-recommended care and communication, they would have to work nearly 27 hours every single day.
With burnout impacting more than half of US physicians, much of it related to these unrealistic demands, some healthcare systems and many medical associations are beginning to take note. System-wide commitments to streamline tasks and automate simple processes are beginning to take hold. But true reform is likely to be several years away.
In the meantime, when every minute of your day feels like it belongs to someone else, managing your own time isn’t a luxury. It’s essential. Yet time management is rarely taught in medical training, leaving many of us to figure it out the hard way.
During my years as a busy cardiologist, I became fascinated by productivity strategies. I learned from the best in the field, and I discovered that with the right tools, I could work more efficiently and create space for what mattered most outside of my practice. That included time with friends and family, creative pursuits, and re-energizing with physical pursuits like riding my horse and practicing yoga. That extra space in my life helped me to stay energized and focused so I could keep showing up fully for my patients.
As a physician coach, I enjoy sharing these simple techniques and insights with my clients. For some, they can be transformative. By optimizing your personal time, you may find that the more rigid pressures of work feel like less of a burden.
Start a Bullet Journal
A bullet journal is one of my favorite time savers. This analog notebook is far more than a traditional planner. It’s a personalized system that blends task management, reflection, and goal tracking. Here’s how it can work for you.
✅Customizable Layout: Design your bullet journal to fit your needs, whether that’s jotting daily to-dos, tracking long-term projects, or creating space for self-reflection. Don’t worry about making it look pretty, unless that’s something you enjoy. Mine is simple: a basic checklist and scattered notes throughout the day. No artistry required.
✅Mindfulness Practice: The act of writing by hand boosts memory and mindfulness. It can also help you to prioritize tasks. I like to take 10 minutes every evening to set up my plans for the next day. Even if I don’t check off every box, simply writing them down creates an intention and makes it more likely that I’ll eventually follow through.
✅Bonus Tip: Use color coding for the win. Assign different colors to specific types of tasks or appointments—like blue for meetings, green for personal time, and red for urgent deadlines. It’s a quick way to visually organize your schedule and makes it easier to remember what’s important at a glance.
If you want a deeper dive into bullet journaling, check out The Bullet Journal Method, by Ryder Carroll. There’s no rush to get through it. For me, ten minutes a day was enough to build lasting momentum.
Commute with Audiobooks
Multitasking is generally overrated. That’s because most people tend to do both things halfway. And multitasking can make you more vulnerable to distractions. But listening to a good podcast or audiobook on your commute or while exercising can be a great way to safely and efficiently feed two birds at the same time. That could be CME, a good story, or personal development.
Here’s a brief list of some of my favorite productivity audiobooks:
✅Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman is a thought-provoking exploration of time, productivity, and the modern obsession with getting everything done. Rather than offering hacks to do more, Burkeman challenges us to embrace the limitations of the human lifespan, roughly 4,000 weeks, and focus on what truly matters. It’s a refreshing, philosophical take on time management that encourages purpose over perfection and presence over productivity.
✅Atomic Habits by James Clear focuses on the development of small, incremental habits to achieve significant life changes. The book emphasizes the compound effects of your small daily decisions and the importance of establishing systems rather than focusing solely on goals.
✅Stolen Focus by Johann Hari delves into the modern crisis of attention, exploring how various factors in our environment and daily lives erode our ability to concentrate. Hari argues that the decrease in attention spans is not an individual failing, but rather a systemic issue influenced by technology, diet, sleep patterns, and societal structures. Although Hari advises systemic change, simply being aware of these forces can help you to push back.
✅Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport advocates for a practice of deep, focused work as opposed to the more common shallow, multitasking approach. The book offers practical advice on how to cultivate a deep work habit, minimize distractions, and maximize your cognitive capabilities. Although the ideas in the book are not always applicable to the reality of a physician’s practice, you will come away with a greater understanding of the importance of focus and the negative impact of constant distractions.
Recharge with App-Based Yoga and Fitness
Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is one of the most powerful ways to clear your head, enhancing your ability to manage time. As a registered yoga teacher, I’m a big fan of online yoga classes—not just for the practice itself, but for the flexibility they offer.
✅Flexibility: Yoga apps let you practice at your convenience, fitting sessions into a busy schedule. . Whether you have 10 minutes or a full hour, there’s something that fits your schedule. I like DownDog, AloMoves, and YogaWorks. All three also offer options besides yoga, including strength training and meditation. And some offer live options as well.
✅Stress Relief: : Yoga, like many forms of movement, is a way to reset both body and mind. If you're just starting out, or if your time is limited, keep it simple. Commit to just 10 minutes twice a week and build from there. Sometimes the hardest part is simply beginning.
✅One quick tip: If you’re new to yoga, Pilates, weight training, or any other form of movement, consider a few in-person sessions or private lessons. Learning the basics from a skilled teacher helps prevent injury, boosts confidence, and makes the experience more enjoyable.
Save Time with a Time Tracking App
Understanding where your time goes is the first step to better time management. My favorite easy-to-use option is Toggl. Time tracking apps can help you to:
✅Identify Time Drains: Tracking your time online can help you spot activities that sneakily eat up more time than you realize. That doesn’t mean you need to give up email or social media altogether—but when you see where your time is going, it becomes easier to make intentional choices that align with your priorities and values.
✅Create Structured Work Intervals: I especially like the Pomodoro Technique. It goes like this: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. This structured and repeatable process can enhance focus and prevent burnout. You can also use time tracking to break larger projects (as well as tasks like charting) into smaller intervals. That way you’ll maintain your focus and create a more manageable and efficient process.
✅Batch Your Tasks: By committing to focus on one type of task at a time, your efficiency will surge. For example, use a dedicated block of time for phone calls, charting, or emails. You’ll find that when you’re not skipping from one modality to another, you’re able to get more done, even if all you have is 10 minutes.
Click on “Do Not Disturb” Mode
Your attention is one of your most valuable resources. Pre-scheduling Do Not Disturb mode on your phone, computer, or both can protect your focus during critical windows of the day. Of course, being unavailable isn’t always practical, so be strategic in how you use this function. Here’s how it can help:
✅Fewer Interruptions: Silencing notifications during focus blocks helps reduce distractions and boost efficiency.
✅Protects Your Boundaries: Sending calls to voicemail or messages to “later” mode gives you breathing room for deep work, rest, or patient care.
✅Easy to Set Up: Most smartphones and operating systems allow you to automate DND based on time, location, or calendar events.
Pro tip: Let colleagues or assistants know when you’ll be in DND mode, so they can support your boundaries rather than bypass them.
Free Yourself with App Limits
Many apps, especially social media, are designed to control your attention. When you set a time limit (available in your phone’s settings), you can begin to take charge of this most valuable resource. Here’s why it works:
✅Raises Awareness: You may not realize how often you scroll until you get a daily report or hit a time limit.
✅Encourages Intentional Use: Setting a 15-minute cap on apps like Instagram, TikTok, or news sites helps you check in without falling down a rabbit hole.
✅Built Into Your Phone: Most smartphones include screen time settings where you can create limits for individual apps or categories (like entertainment or social media).
Take One Simple Step
You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine in order to optimize your time. Instead, pick and choose what works best for you, or let these ideas spark some options of your own. The important thing is to commit to making at least one change. When you invest a little time and energy to get started, you may be surprised by how much you get back.
What time management tricks and tools have you found that keep you organized and on task? Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!
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