My mouth waters as I think about a spectacular meal I savored in the south of France. Besides the perfectly prepared and presented food, I remember one other highlight. The menu from which I ordered did not list prices.
The waiter handed the man with whom I shared the meal a different menu with the prices—despite the fact that I was picking up the tab.
It was as if the restaurant was saying to me, “Let’s pretend that money does not exist. Go ahead and order anything you want. Don't worry your pretty little head about money.”
Playing “Let’s Pretend”
In many ways, my experience practicing medicine was like eating at that restaurant. My patients and I made treatment decisions as if the bills were being paid with Monopoly money. Small wonder healthcare costs soared.
Many physicians bring the "let's pretend money doesn't exist" mindset into their lives.
We use service and impact to measure our professional success. Many physicians believe that if they focus on money, they tarnish the integrity of their contributions.
And the outcome? Year after year, half of physicians report they are behind in retirement planning.
Embracing “Let’s Build TrueWealth”
Physicians want to create careers and lives that work for them.
In my upcoming book How Doctors Build TrueWealth..and It's Not Just about the Money, I make a bold statement.
If you want to transform your life, transform your relationship with money.
I believe entrepreneurship is about re-coupling the professional value you deliver with the fees you charge.
I believe that a life of TrueWealth re-couples hopes and dreams with the reality that there is no free lunch--or dinner. You need money to dine at exquisite restaurants or fund legacy projects or make work optional.
To build TrueWealth, physicians need to re-negotiate the terms of their relationship with money. After all, we are all in a lifetime relationship with money--whether we like it or not. There is no divorce!
The transformation begin by thinking about money as the treasured family member rather than the unwanted step-child.
It means spending time with money and treating it with more respect.
It means making conscious choices about how money is earned and spent and invested.
It means collecting your professional fees.
If you want to transform your life, transform your relationship with money.
Vicki Rackner MD, FACS
Principal, Thriving Doctors
The waiter handed the man with whom I shared the meal a different menu with the prices—despite the fact that I was picking up the tab.
It was as if the restaurant was saying to me, “Let’s pretend that money does not exist. Go ahead and order anything you want. Don't worry your pretty little head about money.”
Playing “Let’s Pretend”
In many ways, my experience practicing medicine was like eating at that restaurant. My patients and I made treatment decisions as if the bills were being paid with Monopoly money. Small wonder healthcare costs soared.
Many physicians bring the "let's pretend money doesn't exist" mindset into their lives.
We use service and impact to measure our professional success. Many physicians believe that if they focus on money, they tarnish the integrity of their contributions.
And the outcome? Year after year, half of physicians report they are behind in retirement planning.
Embracing “Let’s Build TrueWealth”
Physicians want to create careers and lives that work for them.
In my upcoming book How Doctors Build TrueWealth..and It's Not Just about the Money, I make a bold statement.
If you want to transform your life, transform your relationship with money.
I believe entrepreneurship is about re-coupling the professional value you deliver with the fees you charge.
I believe that a life of TrueWealth re-couples hopes and dreams with the reality that there is no free lunch--or dinner. You need money to dine at exquisite restaurants or fund legacy projects or make work optional.
To build TrueWealth, physicians need to re-negotiate the terms of their relationship with money. After all, we are all in a lifetime relationship with money--whether we like it or not. There is no divorce!
The transformation begin by thinking about money as the treasured family member rather than the unwanted step-child.
It means spending time with money and treating it with more respect.
It means making conscious choices about how money is earned and spent and invested.
It means collecting your professional fees.
If you want to transform your life, transform your relationship with money.
Vicki Rackner MD, FACS
Principal, Thriving Doctors