How many times have you said recently ‘I just need to get through this week, things will calm down soon’, and it doesn’t turn out to be the case? This feeling of just surviving is all too common. Here Dr Indira Sam, former public health physician and academic turned work–life success coach, talks about how we can make some positive changes to shift from survival to thriving.  

 

As a work–life success coach and research coach, I’ve helped women in health and medicine move from overwhelm to creating lives that are both successful and fulfilling. I understand the unique challenges faced by women in academia, medicine and research. The relentless drive for excellence often leaves little time to nurture personal interests and wellbeing.  

I’ve been in your shoes, I know these pressures firsthand.   

While participating as a mentee in the Franklin Women Mentoring Program, I was also cracking the code to finding time for work–life success.

Inspired by the program, I left academia last year to pursue my goal of empowering others to achieve work–life success and find joy in their lives. I’m loving every minute of this new path!  

I want others to experience less stress, more work–life success, and the joy of doing what they love. But why is it so hard for women in health and research to find balance? Many are caught in a cycle of high workloads, constantly feeling they need to prove themselves while neglecting their own needs.  

I have learnt that finding balance isn’t about doing less – it’s about doing what truly matters to you. As an example, Indira’s 3-3-3 Method© is a simple strategy helping shift from survival to thriving by focusing on what truly matters and eliminating the clutter, noise of the endless tasks and demands, and the overwhelm. This is how it works:  

• List 3 Monthly Milestones: Which three milestones will make significant progress towards my overarching goal 

• List 3 Weekly Goals: Which three goals will move me closer to achieving my monthly milestones 

• List 3 Daily Priorities: Which top three tasks will make the biggest impact and align with my three weekly goals 

Starting each day with three critical tasks helps you to prioritise your goals, manage your time, and ultimately feel a greater sense of control and fulfillment in both your professional and personal life. 

If you would like to take a next step towards a more balanced and fulfilling life, head to my website. Here, you can learn how my coaching can help you achieve your goals and subscribe to my email list for regular insights and tips.  

Let’s work together to transform your life from one of overwhelm to one of joy and success 😊