Are You Betting On Yourself? | How locus of control makes all the difference

Success and happiness are often determined by where we place our focus: within ourselves or on external factors. Mastery lies in asking the right questions, and understanding the locus of control is a key part of this. Those who focus on what they can influence are generally happier and more successful. In this episode, we explore the philosophy behind the locus of control, its impact on burnout, the importance of small bets in making significant changes, and state vs. trait gratitude. Finally, we delve into practical strategies to cultivate a more resilient mindset

💡 Check out our Free Resources specifically designed to address pain points in medical practice💡

Guest Bio: Dan Mccollum, MD is an emergency physician and Director of Teaching and Learning at the Medical College of Georgia. Hear more of Dan on Stimulus episodes #1 Verbal Judo #14 Stoic With A Capital S, #25 Digital Minimalism, and #59 Aim to Be A Zero.

We Discuss:

• Waiting room medicine has become the norm. It's not ideal. So what do you do about it?
• The power of placing small bets
• Stoicism and the philosophy behind locus of control
• Some things in the world are up to us; others are not
• Sextus, "The crowd is irrelevant."
• What is the locus of control?
• Shades of gray in the locus of control
• The Stoic approach to patient complaints
• Taming the blame ogre
• Domains of control and the paradox of varied strength
• The Stoic approach to patient complaints
• How a mishandled aspirin overdose led to a major recalibration of control locus
• A tactical approach to developing an internal locus of control
• The 'Good' reframe
• The five slices of gift exercise
• The jar of awesome
• Power of an end-of-day debrief
• Trait vs. state of gratitude
• Not every approach is for everybody
• Book recommendations for operationalizing an internal locus of control

Mentioned in this episode:

5 Free Tools To Make Medical Practice Easier

Scripts for your least favorite conversations. The quick and dirty guide to calling consults. A 10-minute "Driveway Debrief" to switch off from work. My favorite documentation templates. Step-by-step guide for delivering the news of death.

Free Resources Link

Awake + Aware Bend May 5-7, 2025 | Our in person live event

Ready to reset, recharge, and level up? Awake + Aware is a game-changing 3-day workshop where you will learn how to stay cool when the pressure’s on and lock in the mindset you need to flourish. Space is limited. 🎓 P.S. Yes, this is a CME event!

Awake + Aware Bend 2025

Never Lame. Never Spammy. Always Fresh.

If you’d like a few minutes of career-elevating curated kickassery delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter