“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
– Winston Churchill
When I first heard this quote the other day, I was embarrassed that I had not noticed it before. How could such a powerful phrase have eluded my awareness for so long? I was struck by the meaning behind Churchill’s words. As much as we, as physicians, resist change, Churchill’s statement acknowledges that to improve, first we must undergo change. Extrapolating this concept to the extreme, the excerpt finishes by establishing that improving to the point of perfection requires frequent change. A tremendous focus on change within the medical profession brings this quote into relevance for physician anesthesiologists everywhere.
How can we best navigate change in our pursuit of improvements for our profession and our patients? In his widely read business book, The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor discusses a principle he calls the Tetris...