Senior doctors often describe the “organised doctor” as someone with clear priorities, structured workflows, strong time management and a calm sense of control over competing demands.

Yet when explored further, this person, the “organised doctor” is usually someone else. Someone they observe and admire. Someone they assume has found a way to manage the same pressures more effectively.

Organisation is not a personality trait. It is the result of deliberate habits, decisions, and boundaries that shape how you use your time and attention.

This series unpacks these practical skills and behaviours so you can strengthen your own systems and regain control over your professional workload.

 

Time management begins with realism and engaging with the question:

  • How much time will you allocate to work?

Every doctor has the same 24 hours. What differs is the volume, complexity, and intensity of professional and personal responsibilities competing for that time.

A critical first step is to establish a realistic view of how much time your professional role actually requires, and how much you are both able and willing to allocate.

Medicine rarely operates within fixed hours. Clinical care, supervision, leadership, administration, and professional obligations expand to fill available space unless actively contained.

Without this clarity and clear boundaries, overload becomes the default.

 

Identify the icebergs in your role

Start by reviewing the full scope of your professional work:

  • Clinics

  • Ward rounds

  • Administrative tasks

  • Supervision and teaching

  • Continuing professional development

  • Meetings and committees

Some tasks are predictable and straightforward to time‑block. Others behave like icebergs, with a visible component and a much larger hidden workload beneath the surface.

This hidden work often includes:

  • Preparation

  • Documentation and follow up

  • Coordination with colleagues and services

  • Waiting for information or decisions

  • Unplanned clinical or operational problem solving

These hidden components are where time pressure accumulates. Identifying them allows you to calculate the true cost of your professional responsibilities and plan accordingly.


Map your week to create objective clarity

One of the most effective exercises we use in coaching is simple time mapping.

  • Before the day or week begins, estimate how long each task will take.

  • During or afterwards, record the actual time spent.

This creates objective evidence that allows you to:

  • Reset unrealistic personal / professional expectations.

  • Communicate more clearly with colleagues and teams (friends and family).

  • Negotiate boundaries

  • Reorganise your workload in a sustainable way

Many senior doctors when they map it, discover that their workload exceeds what can reasonably be contained within their allocated time.

This awareness is not a failure. It is the foundation for making deliberate adjustments.

Future articles in this series will build on this work, focusing on practical strategies to strengthen structure, prioritisation, and professional control.


Would you like support?

If you struggle with time management, feel you could be more organised, or would like support implementing the mapping exercise, you are welcome to book a 15‑minute career call to find out more about our professional and high‑performance coaching programs designed to support doctors across all stages of their careers.