Dear Balance Seekers,

Happy Back-To-School (yeah!) Like most of you, I was happy to see the return to a routine that September always brings. I was also feeling very depleted by the time the kids all headed out for class. August is more about finishing all the summer plans and gearing up for the school year. That doesn't leave much time to do the things that energize mom's like me. So I had a choice to make on September 2nd, should I spend all my free time working on the Evolving Physicians business (newsletter, marketing, website, retreat program, etc) OR should I work on filling up my "empty pitcher of joy"? I was feeling uninspired and tired. I had nothing in that pitcher to share with anyone. I wisely chose to focus on self care.

I worked with a fabulous Ayruvedic Practioner on a week long Panchakarma. Giving up caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, processed food, meat, and did I mention chocolate. After 4 days of cleaning up my act, the pay off arrived in the form of 3 days of body treatments including massage and steaming in a lovely tent called the "steamy wonder." I consider myself an experienced massage receiver and I am not afraid to try new things. I will admit that some of the therapies pushed me to stretch my comfort zone. I do have to say the old disclaimer "now kids, don't try this at home." But for me, this was just what the doctor ordered. I feel re-energized and everything in my life has more clarity, which is exactly what I needed.

If you are feeling a little dazed and confused, or maybe just numb to your surroundings, please take time out for some true self-care. There is still time to join us for the upcoming retreat at Sundara Spa (Sept 26-28.)

In Joy,

Jodi Ritsch, MD
JoyfulDoc@me.com
www.evolvingphysicians.com
715-577-4411

P.S. Welcome new readers! Please share this with any woman seeking to better balance her work/home life.

P.P.S. Make plans to join us for the upcoming virtual retreat in October!

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Did you miss my Free Preview Call on September 14th? Click here to listen (or right click to download) the recording to listen to the FIRST 5 Steps to help you move from Burnout to BALANCE.

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Spa-Intensive Retreat at Sundara Spa in Wisconsin Dells
Sunday, September 26th – Tuesday 28th, 2010
Sundara Spa in Wisconsin Dells

October Virtual Retreat
Beginning October 20th – for early bird pricing listen to the September 14th recorded call or email joyfuldoc@me.com (hint: the price goes up each week until it begins, so act now!)

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Summer Camp

This summer 3 of my 4 kids decided to go to camp for a week. All three returned with new friends, camp songs, great stories of adventures and new passions. Most dramatic was my 8 year old son's experience. Before camp, he wrote the required letter to the camp counselor and listed his main hobby as "being lazy." I expected he would return from camp upset by all the required activities. But instead, his 3 person team won the basketball competition and a teenage counselor taught him the hobby of running. He returned with a sharpie drawing on his ankle of a winged shoe and proceeded to start a new fitness quest which includes push ups, crunches and running between video gaming. You got to start somewhere!

For the last 8 years, my summer camp has been going to the National Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I always have a great time and learn something new. This year, one of the lectures was called "Punished by Rewards." It focused on the book of the same name as well as a new book called "Drive." The talk was all about how despite 40 years of scientific studies on what motivates us, business ( and now healthcare) is doing the opposite. It was fascinating to find out that the more you give people an if-then reward (if you color a picture, then you get a sticker), the more reluctant they are to have any intrinsic motivation to do it next time. And the more you pay someone a reward for doing a task that involves any real thinking, the longer it takes them and the less creative they are doing the work. This has some real profound ramifications as I look around at everyone working in healthcare today.

When I listened to "Drive" on audio CD, the author Daniel Pink offers solutions that are working in businesses and schools currently. They involve three elements of true motivation - autonomy, mastery, and purpose. How much of these do you have in your life?

His two big questions for everyone reading the book are: 

1. What is your sentence? (this is a concise description of your life purpose such as  Abraham Lincoln’s “He preserved the union and freed the slaves”) 
   
   
2. Was I better today than yesterday? ( to use each night before bed)

I know I could have offered my son any video game to run around the block, but he never would have done it again without a trip to Best Buy. The autonomy at camp this summer, helped him spark true motivation for a healthy lifestyle. Evolving physicians is my journey to come up with my sentence. Just think about the possibilities, if we all had answers to those two questions and true motivation!

For time to come up with your answers, consider joining us for the September 26-28th Spa-Intensive Retreat or for the October virtual retreat via teleclass calls.

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September is a beautiful time to take a mindful walk in nature. Quietly walking and using all five senses to experience the time in nature.

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“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb

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