I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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The Internet is a wonderful collection of human knowledge. It can lead you to personal freedom and help you live according to your values. It can alternatively cause negative addictive behavior. You can’t seem to put down your phone or disconnect from technology.
Another thing the Internet can do is explain things. To better understand autonomy, we checked out the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It was founded in 1995 to “… provide open access to detailed, scholarly, peer-reviewed information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy.”
Here’s what it has to say about personal autonomy.
“Autonomy is an individual’s capacity for self-determination or self-governance. Personal autonomy is the capacity to decide for oneself and pursue a course of action in one’s life.”
You govern yourself. You determine what you are going to do and how you are going to live your life. You decide for yourself rather than letting others control you and your actions. The course of action you take is up to you when you are autonomous.
Opportunities for More Autonomy in Your Daily Life
If you have a job, you probably have a boss. Even freelancers who work from home and have fewer restrictions on their daily routines have clients they have to keep happy. Regardless of your job or career, you have a list of marching orders dictated by someone other than yourself.
This doesn’t mean that you have no autonomy in this situation. The person who embraces personal autonomy might be unable to choose what tasks her boss gives her. But she can choose who she will work for and what job she will accept.
This means that you can make autonomous decisions in your life, even in areas where you might think you have little control.
Few people can get by in life without working some job or career. That might not be something you can change. What you can do is determine what type of job you’re going to work and how much time and energy you devote to your career.
What Do You Choose to Do with Your Free Time?
Another area for more self-governance is free time. Do you automatically do what society suggests you should do when you have some spare time? Do you immediately jump on your phone? Do you choose an unhealthy lunch with coworkers rather than eating a healthier, home-prepared meal alone? Are your most important relationships one-way streets where your needs are unmet?
These are all opportunities for more autonomy in your life.
They highlight areas where you can take more control and decide for yourself the most rewarding and fulfilling course of action. Start looking for opportunities in your daily routine to determine your life’s path rather than blindly just doing what you’ve done in the past or what society tells you to do.
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Once you’ve decided that you want to leave your current job to start your practice, you need an exit plan. Check out our blog post here for tips on developing an exit plan and starting your new independent practice.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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