How to Be Efficient (Even When You Don’t Like the Task)

Charting was the bane of my existence. It was the thing that caused me to leave work late. It was the stumbling block for me to live my life. Charting a certain way to justify the requested level of service – all that put more dislike to charting for me. Charting was definitely something I did not enjoy doing. That was probably why I let it slide, especially in the second half of the day. I was giving myself the excuse that I had to keep the patients on time according to their scheduled appointments. Patient charts started to accumulate, and transiently, I pretended they did not exist – at least for a few hours of my day. After seeing the last patient, reality set in – sometimes 5 charts, sometimes 15. As tired and exhausted as I was, the negative sentiment around charting rose even more.  

How is it possible that I am charting so efficiently that I finish my clinic by 5 pm while seeing the same number of patients as before? One thing I realize is that we do not have to enjoy doing everything we do. The next natural question is to ask why – why would I do something if I do not like it? Even though this is a simple question, it is important to ask yourself. 

The most common reason is that you are doing something you do not want to get what you want. In other words, you are keeping the end goal in mind. For my charting odyssey, I understood that the patient charts had to be completed so that I could live my life outside of clinical medicine.  

After understanding the why, it may still be challenging to actually do the task. Your brain may offer some unhelpful thoughts, such as excuses for you to procrastinate, or creative arguments to support why you should not be doing it. Know that you mind is trying to protect yourself from the potential discomfort of doing something you dislike. Accept that you are doing it because you have a desired outcome you are looking forward to. This is when you need your brain to have the logical thinking. Schedule the task, set a time block to do it. Make it a dedicated time just for that task, so that you have the focused time. When you can focus on doing one thing at a time, you are more efficient.  

Is there someone else who can do the task instead? For patient charting, how about getting a scribe or AI? You get to decide what you prefer, as long as the charts are completed the way you want them. There is always the option of delegating a task. 

If you are the person who is going to complete the task you dislike, there are ways to decrease the level of dislike. Besides focusing on the goal in mind, break the task in smaller steps. For the outpatient setting, it is especially helpful to finish the patient’s chart as soon as you complete the encounter. The task is less daunting when it is viewed as smaller increments. 

Another way to decrease the level of dislike is to make it fun. At first, it may seem impossible for you to turn something you dislike into something more fun. Allow yourself to be open to that possibility. For example, conduct a little competition against yourself. See if you can finish a patient’s chart in 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes. It is possible to make everything a game. Playing a game, even by yourself, is fun. It is easier to do something if you dislike it less.  

How about giving yourself a reward by doing that thing you do not like? For example, if you finish all the patient charts by 5:30 pm, you will get to attend that dance class you have wanted to for a long time. Or get yourself a dessert, if you have a sweet tooth like me.  

When you are doing something you dislike at work, it is important to understand why you are doing it. What is the goal you are trying to achieve? Is there any other way to look at the task that may decrease the level of dislike? Is there any opportunity to delegate? Schedule the task, avoid procrastination. Avoid having an internal argument of why you do not like that task. When you have a dedicated time block to do it, focus and only do that one thing. Take small steps so it is less overwhelming. Come up with ways to make it easier and more fun. You can always reward yourself by completing that task – it is something to look forward to. The more you practice this, you will find yourself having a lower level of dislike. When it becomes more neutral, there is even less of a chance for your mind to argue with reality. Overall, you will be more efficient and get to goal faster.