As physicians, we’re no strangers to putting our time in. Whether it’s charting, call shifts, keeping up with CME, or just trying to be present with our families, it often feels like we’re drowning in obligations. Honestly, at times, it can feel overwhelming.
But here’s a truth I had to learn: I didn’t have a time problem. I had a prioritization problem.
It wasn’t until I started using a simple decision-making framework — the Eisenhower Matrix — and combined it with virtual assistants and AI that I began to create time in my daily life.
If you constantly feel behind or overwhelmed, this post will walk you through how to:
- Identify what actually deserves your attention
- Systematically eliminate or delegate everything else
- Use technology effectively to free up hours each week
Let’s dive in.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Any investment involves risk, and you should consult your financial advisor, attorney, or CPA before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The author and associated entities disclaim any liability for loss incurred as a result of the use of this material or its content.
Why Most Physicians Feel Stretched Thin
We’re trained to “do it and do it well.” That often means we take on too much, try to do everything ourselves, and assume being “busy” is just part of being a high-performing doctor.
But zoom out for a moment. If you’re doing:
- Patient care
- Documentation
- Admin work
- Research
- Running your practice
- Teaching or mentoring
- Family responsibilities
- Trying to exercise, sleep, and maybe think about passive income
You’re probably running on fumes. No one can sustain that without systems in place.
Step 1: The Eisenhower Matrix – How to Prioritize Like a Pro
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you decide what truly deserves your time.
Here’s how it breaks down:
Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important — Do It Now
These are immediate, high-stakes tasks that require your expertise.
Examples:
- Responding to a medical emergency
- Finishing time-sensitive documentation
- Handling a billing issue that impacts cash flow
Quadrant 2: Not Urgent but Important — Schedule It
These are the high-leverage activities that shape your future, but they often get pushed aside.
Examples:
- Learning about real estate investing
- Setting up estate plans
- Creating systems in your business
- Spending time with family
- Prioritizing health
This is where real freedom is built. But we rarely make space for it because it doesn’t scream for our attention.
Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important — Delegate It
These tasks feel important, but they don’t require your expertise. They should be offloaded to someone else.
Examples:
- Scheduling meetings
- Answering routine emails
- Booking travel
- Formatting presentations
Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not Important — Delete It
These are distractions. They waste time and provide little return.
Examples:
- Refreshing your email
- Arguing in Facebook comments
- Constantly reorganizing your to-do list
When I first started using this, I made a list of everything on my plate – one-time tasks and recurring ones – and then assigned each to a quadrant. You can do this manually, or better yet, use AI to help categorize them for you (more on that below).
Step 2: How I Use a Virtual Assistant (VA) as a Physician and Entrepreneur
Once I started applying the Eisenhower Matrix, I realized how many of my weekly tasks landed in Quadrant 3 — urgent but not important. These were ideal to delegate.
Instead of doing everything myself, I learned to hire a virtual assistant (VA) for an incredibly reasonable cost. It’s a win-win: you offload repetitive tasks, they gain meaningful work, and often, they’ll do it better and faster than you could.
Here’s how I started using a VA and how you can too.
What I Delegated First
- Email triage
- Calendar coordination
- Travel logistics
- Research (tools, vendors, gifts, service comparisons)
- Social media formatting and scheduling
I recorded Loom videos for tasks, created processes, and used task boards in Notion to assign and track progress. The difference was immediate. I went from managing everything to focusing only on the things that required my unique input.
Systems That Work Well With a VA
- Use project management tools like Notion, Trello, or ClickUp
- Record SOPs (standard operating procedures) once using Loom and reuse them
- Use shared cloud folders with clear file naming conventions
- Give limited access through tools like LastPass for security
Start by buying back five hours a week. Over time, this compounds into more margin, less stress, and greater focus on high-impact work.
Step 3: How I Use AI to Multiply My Time
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity have become my go-to digital assistants when I need something fast, accurate, and scalable.
One of the first ways I used AI was by taking my task list and asking ChatGPT to help me categorize it using the Eisenhower Matrix. In the beginning, I had to teach it what I considered important, but over time, it learned my preferences and sorted tasks more accurately — and much faster than I could manually.
Here are a few other ways I and other physicians use AI in medicine, business, and life:
Clinical + Administrative Tasks
- Summarizing journal articles into plain English
- Drafting appeal letters for insurance
- Creating patient education content
- Writing conference slide outlines
- Researching clinical tools or databases
Business and Personal Tasks
- Drafting LinkedIn posts and newsletters
- Comparing software tools or subscriptions
- Generating title options for webinars or blog posts
- Planning a 5-day family vacation itinerary with budget
The key to getting good output is giving good input. Tell the AI what role it’s playing, who the audience is, and what format you want the answer in.
Here’s a sample prompt I’ve used:
“You are a master travel agent who knows my preferences (previously shared). Help me create an itinerary for a four-day family trip to Paris, including transportation options.”
Once you learn to prompt AI well, it becomes an extension of your thinking and execution — not just a novelty.
Step 4: Know What Your Time Is Worth
If you earn $350,000 a year and work 50 hours per week, your time is worth about $135 an hour. However, I think physicians should value their time closer to $1000 an hour.
Every time you spend three hours doing something a VA or software could do for $15 to $25 an hour, you’re losing $300 in opportunity cost — and sacrificing time with your family, your health, or your growth.
Ask yourself:
Would you pay someone your hourly rate to do this task?
If not, it probably doesn’t belong on your plate.
Step 5: Build a Weekly System
It’s one thing to have the right tools. It’s another to build habits that leverage them consistently.
Here’s the simple system I use each week:
Sunday Planning (15 to 20 minutes):
- Review my calendar and Eisenhower Matrix
- Assign tasks to my VA
- Record any needed Loom walkthroughs
- Draft AI prompts for the week
Mid-week Review:
- Approve VA deliverables
- Refine AI output
- Reassess what I can eliminate
This routine saves me eight to ten hours a week — and often more.
Subscribe to receive the 7 Steps you can follow to achieve Financial Freedom
If financial freedom is your goal, there’s no better time to get started than right now.
Unlock actionable steps that you can take every day to fine-tune your goals, discover your interests, and avoid costly mistakes on your financial freedom journey.
Final Thoughts: What Would You Do With an Extra Hour a Day?
Would you:
- Spend it with your family
- Work on your side hustle
- Sleep more
- Build out your investment strategy
- Or simply take a break
You don’t need to overhaul your life to start buying back your time. You just need to take the first step.
Start by deleting one task.
Delegate one more.
Automate one more.
Soon, your calendar will start to reflect the life you actually want.
Want Help Getting Started?
If you’re ready to go deeper, here are a few resources that can help:
The future of time freedom isn’t about working harder. It’s about letting go of the things that don’t need you — so you can double down on the ones that do.
Were these helpful in any way? Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and join the Passive Income Docs Facebook Group for more physician-tailored content.
Peter Kim, MD is the founder of Passive Income MD, the creator of Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly education through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community at the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.
