👻 The Curse of 5+ Year Commitments

Hey guys, I hope you all had a fantastic week!

Before we get into this week’s newsletter, I want to say how saddened I was to hear about Liam Payne’s passing. Last week, I spoke about Michael Jackson’s death and I was shocked to hear about his too. Liam had been struggling with his mental health and alcohol-related issues in recent years, as he mentioned on podcasts like The Diary of a CEO. May he rest in peace.

Now, onto today’s piece… 

This week, I made a huge decision: I’m going to pursue GP specialist training. This was difficult for me because, as many of you know, I’ve recently developed a strong passion for both pediatrics and dermatology. Most doctors decide to pursue medicine at the age of 14, which, in my opinion, is a huge ask for someone so young. Making such a big life decision when you’re barely a teenager and nowhere near adulthood seems unfair. But this is the system we have, and we’re expected to commit to something we won’t truly experience until nine years later, at the age of 23, when we finally become doctors.

In life, I think it’s important to have goals, and most of us break our goals into different timeframes. First, we have the short-term goals—those that take up to a year and don’t require much commitment, like learning a new sport or starting a weight loss journey. Then, we have the mid-term goals, which usually take 2–3 years, like getting a promotion or learning a new language. Lastly, we have the long-term goals—those that take five or more years. These goals often require the greatest commitment, and because of their length, they can shape the direction of our lives. Examples might include finding a life partner, getting married, starting a family, or, in my case, becoming a doctor.

These long-term goals are like the strongest rudder on the ship of life. Sometimes, it’s easy to commit to these because they align with who we are. For example, some people just know they’ll get married and have kids one day. But other goals—especially those chosen early on—might evolve as we grow. At 14, many things change by the time you’re 23 and actually practicing medicine. You could fall in love with a different career or a person who lives abroad, shifting your priorities in life.

Unless you’re 100% certain about a long-term goal and confident you won’t change your mind, these are the ones we should approach with caution. If you spend a few months pursuing a short-term goal, like getting in shape, and you decide it’s not a priority anymore, that’s no big deal—you’ve only committed a couple of months. But if you spend five, seven, or even ten years working toward a goal, only to realize it’s no longer what you want, that’s a huge investment. I think many doctors fall into the trap of the sunk cost fallacy, where they stick with something simply because they’ve already invested so much time into it. Yet, despite this, many doctors I know have decided to either quit medicine entirely or pivot into a different career.

So, why have I decided to pursue GP training instead of my passion for pediatrics or dermatology? It’s because I don’t know for sure if the Kenji in his mid-30s will be happy with the decision I make today. Will I still enjoy working with children? Absolutely—I’m certain of that. But will I want to work night shifts when I have kids at home? Or even stay living in the UK? I’m not sure. GP training is only three years, and with my pediatrics experience, I’m hoping to shorten it to around 2.5 years. With this shorter timeframe, I feel more confident that the Kenji I am today won’t be too different from the Kenji I’ll be when I complete the training.

If I continue to enjoy pediatrics, I can still work as a senior house officer (SHO) or pick up locum shifts in pediatrics during my free time. Or, I could pursue a GP with a specialist interest in pediatrics by taking further exams. This way, I can still work in the field I love without committing to the full seven years of pediatric training. If I gain more experience, I could even move from an SHO position to a registrar role if I choose.

This week, I want to encourage you all to set as many goals as you want—both short- and long-term. But remember, with long-term goals, it’s okay to be cautious. If you pursue them, give them your full commitment, but don’t beat yourself up if, a few years down the line, your priorities change. We often underestimate how much we grow and change from year to year, and it’s okay to adjust our goals when they no longer fit who we are.

Is there a long-term goal you’ve reconsidered or changed your mind about? I’d love to hear your thoughts—hit reply if you’d like to share.

Enjoy your week, and I’ll see you in the next one!

Doctor Kenji.

👍🏾 Things I’ve enjoyed this week

• 1. Pickleball (Sport)

  It’s been a good few years since I’ve played team sports. Back in university, I was really active in football and lacrosse, but since graduating, it’s been difficult to organize team activities around an unpredictable schedule, especially in medicine. Now that I’m more flexible with my time as a locum, I’ve committed to getting back into team sports. This week, I tried Pickleball, and it was so much fun! If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s kind of like a mix between tennis and table tennis, played with four people. It’s becoming more popular here in London, and I believe it originally started in the US. If you get the chance to play or know of a local club, I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s both challenging and a great way to get some exercise.

  2. New iPad Mini 7th Generation (Tech)

  The new iPad mini is finally here! After about four years of waiting for an updated version, I pre-ordered mine the moment it was released—literally three hours after it became available at 7 pm UK time. While there are only marginal differences from the previous version, I’m super excited to have a portable device that I can use both for work and for watching content. Can’t wait to pick it up!

  3. Diary of a CEO Podcast with Ramit Sethi

  I recently listened to The Diary of a CEO interview with Ramit Sethi, and it was brilliant. They talked about money and how to live your best life without needing to be a millionaire. If you’re into personal finance, I highly recommend checking out this episode.

📹 The latest video in case you missed it:

📚 Highlight of the week

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

Happiness is being satisfied with what you have. Success comes from dissatisfaction. Choose.

How to Live by Derek Sivers

Marriage is for getting through the times when you’re not in love. Expect things to get bad. Your mutual commitment gives you the security to weather the storms, knowing they won’t destroy the relationship. Be loving even when you’re not feeling loving.

3-2-1: On Feeling Foolish, the Importance of Dreams, and Respecting Others by James Clear

"One of the great mistakes in life is suffering for years because you didn't want to feel foolish for five minutes.

• You don't want to apologize, so you let a relationship deteriorate. • You're scared of the sting of rejection, so you don't ask for what you want. • You fear people will say your idea is dumb, so you never start the business.

Nobody likes feeling foolish, but the feeling fades quickly. The willingness to endure five minutes of discomfort turns out to be a meaningful dividing line in life."

Resurfaced to me by Readwise

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