by Diane W. Shannon | Mar 2, 2023 | Coaching, Humanizing Medicine
Guilt has a purpose. It reminds me of my responsibility to be the best version of myself that I can be. Shame does not. It only serves to keep me bound up in negative thoughts about who I am—thoughts that block all possibility of being my best self. The research... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Feb 2, 2023 | Coaching, Leadership
I’ve been coaching women physicians for more than five years now, helping them build lives that work personally and professionally. We start with the places where they have the most control to make changes. Charting efficiency, prioritizing sleep, delegating what they... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Nov 3, 2022 | Coaching, Identity
“A meandering path, often unicursal, with a singular path leading to a center.” That’s how the Labyrinth Society defines the walking maze that is their namesake. What’s interesting to me is that the path is both singular—as in there’s one right way to the end—yet also... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Jun 30, 2022 | Burnout, Coaching, Thriving
Sometimes we just need to focus on finding a basecamp. Climbers whose goal is scaling Mount Everest first spend time in one of two basecamps. They don’t expect to hop from the foothills to the summit. They recognize that they will be healthier and have a been chance... 
by Diane W. Shannon | Jan 28, 2022 | Burnout, Coaching, Thriving
Picture a motorboat out in the harbor. Imagine that you jump in, turn the key, and start gunning the motor. Its engine is going full force, it’s working hard and churning water like crazy. Yet it’s going nowhere. No forward movement at all. Why? It’s still connected... 
by Diane W. Shannon | May 14, 2021 | Burnout, Coaching, Thriving
Toward the end of my clinical career, I didn’t feel like I had control over much at all. The patient safety issues loomed large. We used ridiculous workarounds for broken processes. The constant vigilance to provide excellent care in a suboptimal environment was... 