When Hustle Stops Helping

It is the Sunday after Black Friday.
For the second year in a row.
I did not work in the ER.

No back to back shifts.
No 3 a.m. traumas.
No dragging myself home in the dark and wondering how I would keep this up.

This year.
I woke up.
Laughed with my family.
I had dinner and a dance party.

Because for years, this was the dream.
Not to leave medicine.
To practice it on my terms.

Concierge style.
More time with fewer patients.
Women who can text me when something feels off.
Call me when something scares them.
Message me when a symptom does not make sense.

I am still a physician.
I am just not living in the hustle that was slowly burning me out.

And as I sat there this weekend, I thought.

Why did it take so long to get here?

It was not a willpower problem

For a long time, I told myself the same story many of my patients tell themselves.

“Next year will be better.”  “This is just a busy season.” “Once things calm down, I will change it.”

So I did what high achievers do.

Picked up extra shifts.Took on more responsibility.Agreed to every holiday schedule.
I tried to outwork the feeling that something was wrong.

I knew I was tired.I knew I wanted more time with my family.
I knew I wanted to help women with menopause and weight in a deeper way.

But instead of building a new map.
I doubled down on the old one.Work more.  Prove more. Push more.

It looked productive. It felt noble. It kept me stuck.And every December. I made the same broken promise to myself.

“Next year I will slow down.” “Next year will be different.”

Then January looked just like November.

The same thing I see in my patients

Now, in my concierge practice, I see the same pattern every week.

Women in their 40s and 50s who are exhausted.Gaining weight around the middle.
Waking up at 2 a.m. and staring at the ceiling.Snapping at people they love.
Feeling like strangers in their own bodies.

They are smart.Capable.High performing.

And they are hustling hard on strategies that no longer work in this season of life.

Cutting calories.Skipping meals.Trying one more strict diet.Doing workouts that leave them drained.And when the scale does not move.They blame willpower.

“I just need to try harder.” “I just need to be more disciplined.”

Y’all listen. It is not that you are lazy.  It is that you are using a map from your twenties in a body that is in perimenopause or menopause.

Your hormones have changed. Your stress load has changed.  Your sleep has changed.

Of course your results are not matching your effort.

And now we are about to walk into the last month of the year.

You can feel that familiar promise creeping back in.

“I will get serious after the holidays.”
“January will be my fresh start.”

You have said it before.  You meant it. Then life happened.  And nothing really changed.

The problem is not your promise. The problem is the plan underneath it.

What changed for me

I did not magically become brave one day and walk away from the old schedule.
I made a series of uncomfortable, very human decisions.

I got honest about how I felt.
I stopped calling my exhaustion “normal.”
I stopped pretending that one more year of pushing would fix it.

I found a community. Entrepreneurs.  Physicians practicing differently.
People who were not afraid to build something new.

I invested in learning.

How to build a business.  How to support women at a concierge level.
How to protect my time and energy instead of giving all of it away.

People told me I was crazy.
Leaving the “safe” path. Stepping back from the constant ER grind.

And yet here I am.Practicing medicine on my terms.
Helping women deeply.  Visit by visit.

There is life on the other side of “this is just how it is.”

Not perfect. But peaceful. Directed.

This can be your story too

You might not want to change careers.
But you might be ready to change how you live in your own body.

You are tired of.

Starting a diet on Monday and quitting by Thursday.
Feeling ashamed every time you look at the scale.
Trying to guess what is “wrong” with you.
Losing the same 10 pounds and regaining 15.

You need a plan that fits this season of your life.

That is what I build with my patients now.

What is missing before you repeat the same promise

We are a few weeks away from January.

You can absolutely tell yourself. “This is my year.”

But this time. Look at what has been missing.

Not motivation. You have that.  Not hustle. You have that too.

What has been missing is a map and some direction.

Hustle got you here.  Direction is what gets you out.

My Birthday Black Friday GLP-1 Offer

This week is my birthday.  So I am doing something special.

For women who are serious about losing weight without the stress of complicated diets.
Without shame. Without the constant guessing.

I am opening a limited number of spots in my GLP-1 weight loss program at a Black Friday Birthday rate. 

You want medical support, not TikTok trends.
You want a clear GLP-1 plan, not another crash diet.
You want a physician you can reach when something does not feel right.

REPLY with the words “I’m READY.”

And I will send you the Black Friday offer details.

We will see if you are a good fit for this level of care.

If you are.  We will build your map. There is life on the other side.
I am living it.  You can too.

So here is my question for you this week.

What promise have you been making to yourself every December?

Hit reply.  I read all your responses.

See you next Sunday.
Dr. Beckford

3 ways I can help whenever you are ready:

Hot flashes. Weight gain. Exhaustion. Menopause does not have to feel like this. Book your complimentary consultation today and get a plan to stop suffering.
https://www.trulybalancedwc.com/complimentary-consultation

Grab your Metabolic Reset Guide to kickstart effortless weight loss.
https://www.trulybalancedwc.com/metabolic-reset-plan

Lose weight without leaving your house.
https://www.trulybalancedwc.com/initial-consultation-fee