Hi, I'm Kendra

I’ve been married to a neurosurgeon since 2003. I’ve lived every season of medicine, from residency with four young children to attending life and I know firsthand that external stability doesn’t automatically create internal peace. I spent years waiting to feel better. When that didn’t happen on its own, I started untangling who I had become inside survival mode. Now, as a Professional Certified Coach, I help physician spouses do the same.

Episode 11: The Power of Tiny Habits for Physician Spouses: Identity, Momentum & Lasting Change

Episode 11 – Tiny Habits for Real Life: Floors, Ceilings, and Finding Stillness in Medical Life

Summary:
In the last two episodes, we explored how medical life can hijack your identity—and how to reclaim it. Now we’re getting practical. In this conversation, Katie and Kendra share real-life tools to help you live into your reclaimed identity even in the middle of chaos, fatigue, and unpredictable schedules. You’ll hear personal updates (including hawk encounters, Jane Austen pilgrimages, and college tours), plus a deep dive into how to make habits stick when life is anything but calm.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • Why “waiting for the right season” to start new habits means you’ll probably never start.

  • How to use floors and ceilings to beat all-or-nothing thinking.

  • The power of tiny habits—and why a 30-second action counts.

  • How to apply habit stacking so your new routines naturally fit into daily life.

  • A real-time example of building a stillness habit (and overcoming all the excuses along the way).

  • Why celebrating even the smallest wins matters more than you think.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

  • The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks (Einstein Time concept)

  • The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (penny-doubling story)

  • VIP event details for the AMA Alliance Western States Regional Meeting (Salt Lake City, Sept. 18–20)

Listener Challenge:
Choose one identity you want to grow into, pick a habit that supports it, and define:

  • Floor: the smallest possible version (takes less than 1 minute).

  • Ceiling: the fullest expression when conditions are ideal.
    Then, stack it onto something you already do every day and celebrate when you complete it—no matter the size.

Check out this episode!

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Life After Survival Mode

A private reflection guide for physician spouses who thought it would feel better by now.

HI, I’M KENDRA

I’ve been married to a neurosurgeon since 2003. I’ve lived every season of medicine, from residency with four young children to attending life,  and I know firsthand that external stability doesn’t automatically create internal peace. I spent years waiting to feel better. When that didn’t happen on its own, I started untangling who I had become inside survival mode. Now, as a Professional Certified Coach, I help physician spouses do the same.

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