The Chiefly Art of Not Giving a F**k: A Counterintuitive Approach to a Good Chief Year

In his 2016 New York Times bestseller, Mark Manson argues how one's life can be improved by establishing values that are "reality-based, socially constructive, immediate and controllable." Manson's lessons translate to chief residency as rising chief residents are embarking on a year of both personal and professional challenges. No chief resident wants to spend their year guided by values that "leave [them] feeling empty and lifeless." To prevent it, chief residents preemptively and deliberately should establish core values to serve as their guiding lights. In this workshop, presenters will review Manson's framework aimed at "reorienting our expectations for life and choosing what is important," highlight the importance of codifying core values, and review qualities of good and bad values, using examples generated by the participants. Presenters will highlight three themes from Manson's work that participants can employ to inform their choice of and to live out said core values. These three themes will be highlighted through large group discussion and practiced by the audience in think-pair-share format, using real-life examples. Finally, the participants will apply these themes when they reflect on and name their own core values; creating a values list to serve as a reference moving forward. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of good and bad values, experience employing three important themes to guide selecting and living out good values and a stronger sense of their own core values.