c e o ’s m e s s a g e
Lisa Folberg CEO
Time Well Spent Time is our greatest commodity. We can’t buy it and we can’t make more; we can only figure out how to make the most of it. I have always thought that making the most of my time was about getting things done. I come from a long line of people who know how to keep busy. I don’t remember my Finnish grandmother ever sitting down, and my mom, at 81 years old, remains a “land shark” who requires constant movement to keep the oxygen flowing through her gills. Keeping busy is good, but like all things, best in moderation. Being solidly in middle-age and starting to realize there is more life behind me than in front, I have been considering how I spend my time, where I place my efforts, and aspects of my time management that I might want to reframe. For most of my life I have employed magical thinking, that by working harder I will somehow create more time. I have also been infected with the idea that if I work harder, I will get through my to-do list. The antidote to this thinking has been to accept the reality that I won’t ever complete my to-do list, but I can put thought into addressing activities/ tasks that lead to a more meaningful and rich experience. Framing my availability for work tasks and personal activities into a narrow, “I don’t have time” has been limiting and has added to my stress. Understanding that no matter how hard I work or for how many hours, my to-do list will never be done has been freeing. I have tried to replace “I don’t have the time” with “I am not prioritizing it.” It feels empowering to take back my schedule. A reframing has also forced me to focus more on prioritizing and being better about limiting the less important or meaningless activities. Our family physician members are some of the most time committed people I know. I sometimes feel conflicted when asking you to serve on committees, do media interviews, send advocacy letters, or serve in leadership, because I know how busy you are. At its heart, CAFP is a volunteer organization. We depend on the participation of our physician members to make CAFP work well. We know most of you are struggling with how to “make the time” to go to work, care for friends and family and take care of yourselves (often in that order). While CAFP participation is not a requirement for a well-functioning personal and professional life, it is time well spent and may be one of your more enriching commitments.
Doing the things you love may not actually create more time, but it can expand our capacity and energy. We saw this during COVID-19. CAFP had some of the highest virtual event participation rates we have ever had during what was likely the busiest time for many of you. I see this every time we have a CAFP event, as tired as you may be, you leave feeling more energized and motivated than when you arrived. Rather than draining you, you have told us that being involved in CAFP is additive and can help protect against burnout. Being involved in CAFP may look different at different times during your life. CAFP involvement does not have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time. Your CAFP is here for you when and how it makes sense for you. The right CAFP connections can help you connect with your family physician community, learn new skills, and even advance your career.
1. Serve on a CAFP Committee 2. Run for local or state CAFP leadership position 3. Attend the All Member Advocacy Meeting to shape CAFP policy and learn more about advocacy 4. Connect with colleagues and get fantastic CME at POP Prism of Practice 5. Help get a family physician in the State Legislature 6. Become a key contact 7. Attend local chapter events I was recently listening to a song by CarolinaStory called "Time Well Spent." The lyrics recount very ordinary moments; a call from a friend or someone you love sleeping beside you as “time well spent.” The song is a reminder that it is the things that provide life meaning that should be included as time well spent, whether it is getting caught in a rainstorm with colleagues as you try and find the AAFP after-party or walking districts knocking on doors to support your family physician colleague in her bid for the legislature. We know that your time with CAFP is time well spent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwhm3Ku9Ycs California Family Physician Autumn 2022
19
