Rewriting the “New Year, New You” Narrative for Women Physicians

New Year’s has a particular kind of energy, especially for women physicians.

It often comes with a quiet but familiar pressure: This is the year I finally get it together.
Finish the notes.
Fix the habits.
Be calmer.
Be better.

The problem isn’t reflection. Reflection is human and healthy.

The problem is the kind of reflection that starts from the assumption that something is wrong with us.

Why “New Year, New You” So Often Backfires

When we focus on everything that didn’t go well last year, it’s easy to slip into magical thinking:
January 1st will be different. I’ll be different.

But lived experience tells us otherwise.

If something has been hard (closing charts, setting boundaries, taking care of your health all come to mind…) there’s a reason. And that reason doesn’t disappear when the calendar turns over.

For women physicians, especially those who struggle with perfectionism or people-pleasing, this mindset quietly reinforces a painful belief: I’m not enough as I am.

A Different Framework: Life in Chapters

A more compassionate way to reflect is to think of your life as a novel told in chapters.

Chapters have:

• a beginning and an end
• context and constraints
• challenges the character didn’t ask for

And importantly, the character doesn’t reset to zero when a new chapter begins.

Residency or fellowship was a chapter.
Early parenting alongside clinical work may have been another.
Burnout, transition, illness, or change can mark chapters too.

Each one shapes the character.

You Are the Hero of the Story

This is where the frame becomes powerful, and frankly, sometimes uncomfortable.

If you are the hero of your story, then your struggles are not evidence of failure. They are part of the plot.

When we read a novel, we don’t abandon the hero when things get hard. We lean in. We stay curious. We trust that something is unfolding, even if we don’t know the ending yet.

Seeing yourself this way allows for more grace, more honesty, and more self-compassion.

A Simple Practice

Try this exercise:

• Write the story of the past year with you as the hero.
• Notice the challenges you faced, especially the ones you didn’t ask for.
• Read it out loud, if you can.

Many women are surprised by how much kindness becomes available when they stop narrating their lives as a list of failures and start seeing the arc of a human story.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Reflection is powerful—but doing it alone, on top of everything else you carry, can be hard.

If you’re in a chapter that feels heavy or confusing, asking for support isn’t a weakness. It’s a skill.

Coaching is a place where we can slow down, name the chapter you’re in, and help you support the hero instead of judging her.

If you’re curious about working together, you can learn more at www.healthierforgood.com. Or sign up for your 1:1 with me here.

Let’s start your hero’s journey today.

You don’t need a new personality or a perfect plan for this year.

You just need permission to meet yourself where you are, and keep reading the story.