| Imagine the "sorcerer's apprentice" scene
| |
| | four years of college, she had exhausted
|
| in the movie Fantasia, fully remade for
| |
| | her softball eligibility but still needed
|
| modern times. No longer would Mickey
| |
| | a few more credits to graduate from UCLA.
|
| Mouse confront those fast-multiplying
| |
| | "I'd planned to do nothing but
|
| brooms as they splashed water everywhere.
| |
| | concentrate on classwork," she recalls.
|
| Instead, the onslaught would have a
| |
| | "That way I could get my grades up for
|
| new-economy twist. Torrents of email
| |
| | applying to med school." Nice plan, but
|
| would come pouring out of a computer.
| |
| | it went haywire when she was offered a
|
| Fresh projects would be announced on
| |
| | chance to play basketball for UCLA. She
|
| ever-tighter deadlines. And all sorts of
| |
| | took it, had a great time, and kept her
|
| people -- bosses, customers, and recent
| |
| | grades up in advanced-science classes.
|
| hires in search of a mentor -- would
| |
| | But when she sent out med-school
|
| march into the picture, each pleading for
| |
| | applications, she had missed several
|
| immediate attention and declaring:
| |
| | deadlines and was accepted nowhere.
|
| "You're the only person we trust to do
| |
| | For the next four years, Richardson
|
| this right." Ridiculous? No, reality.
| |
| | played at the highest level of amateur
|
| For countless workers and managers at
| |
| | softball -- and labored to shore up her
|
| startups or at revitalized older
| |
| | medical resume. She took classes to be an
|
| companies, the excitement of rewriting
| |
| | emergency medical technician in Florida
|
| the rules of business -- and the elation
| |
| | and got a master's degree in health from
|
| of building high-performance
| |
| | Adelphi University. She helped run a
|
| organizations in record time -- is
| |
| | rehab program for heart patients. In
|
| accompanied by a dark side. There just
| |
| | 1988, she reapplied to medical schools
|
| aren't enough hours in the day or enough
| |
| | and won a place at the University of
|
| days in the week to get everything done.
| |
| | Louisville.
|
| Important projects pile up at such a rate
| |
| | Suddenly, medicine became all-consuming.
|
| that they can't all be finished by 6 PM
| |
| | "Those first two years were all about
|
| Friday. As such tasks spill further and
| |
| | memorizing, memorizing," Richardson
|
| further into evenings and weekends,
| |
| | recalls. "I lost my ability to talk to
|
| something deeply troubling starts to
| |
| | people. It was like being stuck in a dark
|
| happen. Friendships with people outside
| |
| | tunnel, just reviewing anatomy and
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| work begin to disappear. Cherished side
| |
| | molecular-biology textbooks. That was a
|
| interests -- such as training for a
| |
| | very tough transition for me."
|
| marathon or photographing a favorite
| |
| | Occasionally, she played catch with her
|
| beach -- become distant memories. Family
| |
| | boyfriend, but other than that, she
|
| rapport suffers. A question looms: If I'm
| |
| | recalls, "I couldn't even practice
|
| so smart, why am I not enjoying my life
| |
| | softball. There was no time." When
|
| more? A year or two ago, true believers
| |
| | Richardson took her medical board exams
|
| seldom worried openly about such
| |
| | at the end of her second year, to her
|
| tensions. The payoffs from a little more
| |
| | dismay, she fell two points short of
|
| hard work seemed so immense, and the
| |
| | passing. She knew that she could press
|
| rewards seemed so close, that it was easy
| |
| | ahead -- and try to pass a retest in a
|
| to believe that only the halfhearted or
| |
| | month or two -- but faculty members
|
| the lazy needed to pause for breath. How
| |
| | encouraged her to think about repeating
|
| times have changed. Suddenly, even
| |
| | her second-year coursework instead. That
|
| well-run Internet companies realize that
| |
| | wasn't a glamorous choice, but before
|
| they can't change the world in a matter
| |
| | long, she decided that it was the right
|
| of months. They and the people in them
| |
| | choice.
|
| must pace themselves for a multiyear
| |
| | This time, Richardson aced her courses.
|
| struggle to achieve their goals. And the
| |
| | That cleared the way in 1991 for her to
|
| shakeout in the financial markets means
| |
| | start third-year instruction, when med
|
| that personal sacrifices can't be papered
| |
| | students get to see patients. She thrived
|
| over by the notion that you don't have to
| |
| | -- and it was vindication for faculty
|
| worry about how hard you're working now,
| |
| | members who had recommended her
|
| since you'll be in a position to retire
| |
| | admission. "She had this absolutely
|
| wealthy in three years anyway.
| |
| | infectious enthusiasm," recalls faculty
|
| Indeed, at its worst, the new economy's
| |
| | member Steve Nettleton.
|
| fast track has become nothing more than a
| |
| | Meanwhile, Richardson figured out how to
|
| road to exhaustion and disappointment --
| |
| | keep her pro-softball career alive. In
|
| a journey to nowhere. But the
| |
| | the summer, she would wrap up medical
|
| opportunities before us are so great, and
| |
| | school on Friday afternoons, catch a
|
| our expectations of what we can do from
| |
| | flight to New York and then drive up to
|
| within our companies are so high, that
| |
| | Connecticut to take the field as a member
|
| sitting passively on the side of the road
| |
| | of the Raybestos Brakettes. To save time,
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| is not an option either. That's why a new
| |
| | she would change into her uniform en
|
| question faces millions of ambitious
| |
| | route. Even then, she sometimes didn't
|
| people who still want to do great work
| |
| | arrive until the second inning of a game.
|
| but who don't want to lose themselves in
| |
| | But her coach at the Brakettes, Ralph
|
| the process: Am I on the right track?
| |
| | Raymond, would get her into the lineup at
|
| Listen carefully, and you can hear that
| |
| | once.
|
| question being debated at all levels of
| |
| | She had taken it for granted at the time,
|
| your organization, your neighborhood,
| |
| | but now Richardson sees Raymond as having
|
| your family, and your social circle. As
| |
| | played a special role. He was the first
|
| people search for answers to that simple
| |
| | in a series of mentors who really wanted
|
| six-word question, they must step back
| |
| | her to succeed in both worlds.
|
| and ask a series of other soul-searching
| |
| | Yes, she was late to games, in a league
|
| questions. What are my priorities? Who
| |
| | where most other players had dull day
|
| are the people that matter most to me,
| |
| | jobs that they chose mainly because such
|
| and what should I be doing to strengthen
| |
| | work wouldn't interfere with softball.
|
| those ties? Do I know how to say no --
| |
| | But instead of being annoyed at her
|
| and if not, is there a way to learn how?
| |
| | tardiness, he was proud. "I remember
|
| Do I know how to say yes and make it
| |
| | Coach Raymond telling me: 'Dot, be
|
| count? Most fundamentally, what am I
| |
| | different. Go and do something else with
|
| really trying to accomplish? It's
| |
| | your life beyond softball. Don't let
|
| tempting to argue that there are no
| |
| | softball get in the way of your
|
| winning strategies, only a long line of
| |
| | profession as a doctor,'" she recalls.
|
| barely tolerable trade-offs. By that line
| |
| | At first, there wasn't anyone comparable
|
| of thinking, you can check email at 6:30
| |
| | in Richardson's other world. Becoming a
|
| AM or help make your children's
| |
| | doctor was so intense that no one was
|
| breakfast, but you can't do both. You can
| |
| | about to give her any extra slack. But
|
| rush to the airport for a hastily called
| |
| | when she started her residency training
|
| client meeting in Chicago or linger over
| |
| | at the University of Southern California
|
| a romantic dinner with your spouse -- but
| |
| | in 1993, things changed. She had decided
|
| there's no way to be in both places at
| |
| | to specialize in orthopedics. Some of the
|
| the same time. And if you want to be part
| |
| | faculty doctors either were former
|
| of an exciting new project, say good-bye
| |
| | athletes themselves or had meaningful
|
| to weekends that might have been spent
| |
| | sports-medicine practices. They wouldn't
|
| backpacking, volunteering, or simply
| |
| | let her cut corners, but they would help
|
| relaxing.
| |
| | adjust her schedule so that she could
|
| Yet some people are extricating
| |
| | remind the world what Dr. Shortstop could
|
| themselves from the worst aspects of the
| |
| | do with a bat as well as with a scalpel.
|
| fast track -- to get on the right track.
| |
| | David Thordarson, head of the USC
|
| In Los Angeles, an aspiring doctor has
| |
| | orthopedic-residency program, remembers
|
| carved out blocks of time during more
| |
| | the crucial moment coming a year before
|
| than a decade of medical training so she
| |
| | the 1996 Olympics, when softball for the
|
| could become an Olympic athlete as well.
| |
| | first time would be an Olympic sport. USC
|
| In Springdale, Arkansas, one of the
| |
| | gave Richardson a year off -- and told
|
| Internet's most successful merchants has
| |
| | her to come back with a medal, if she
|
| learned how to prevent overwork from
| |
| | could, in August 1996. "We had an extra
|
| wrecking his family life. And in San
| |
| | resident that year, so it wasn't a burden
|
| Francisco, two high-powered consultants
| |
| | on us," Thordarson recalls.
|
| have redefined their jobs so that they
| |
| | Richardson did even better. She hit the
|
| can be successful parents too.
| |
| | first home run in the opening round of
|
| It's worth noting that these people are
| |
| | the Atlanta Olympics and then hit the
|
| in the middle of their careers and are
| |
| | game-winning homer in the finals. When
|
| struggling right now to find answers to
| |
| | she came back to USC, she faced a mob
|
| the question of how to do great work and
| |
| | scene of reporters, hospital workers,
|
| still live lives of which they're proud.
| |
| | patients -- all wanting to see Dr. Dot
|
| It's much easier to talk philosophically
| |
| | and her gold medal. "She was surprisingly
|
| about balance, trade-offs, and life
| |
| | down-to-earth about it and eager to get
|
| choices after you've made your millions:
| |
| | back to work," Thordarson recalls.
|
| "Oh, I gave up so much to get here. If I
| |
| | Before long, though, the celebration was
|
| had it to do over again, I'd spend more
| |
| | over. It was time for more tough choices.
|
| time with my kids, my church, and with
| |
| | In early 1998, Richardson was doing an
|
| community groups." Really? Such sentiment
| |
| | all day - all night rotation in the
|
| is easier to express in retrospect than
| |
| | trauma unit just before tryouts for the
|
| it is to live in real time.
| |
| | U.S. national softball team. She had
|
| As each of those people tries to get the
| |
| | planned to finish at the hospital at 8 AM
|
| balance right, lessons big and small
| |
| | and then catch a short flight to San
|
| emerge from their experiences. Simple
| |
| | Diego for the tryouts. But just before
|
| edicts play an important role. ("Don't
| |
| | her 24-hour shift ended, she realized
|
| check voice mail on weekends.") So does
| |
| | that a patient with a broken leg and
|
| hard thinking about what's not essential
| |
| | other serious internal injuries was doing
|
| at work. And at the highest level, three
| |
| | poorly and was in danger of crashing.
|
| main strategies provide steady guidance.
| |
| | Should she stay or should she go? "There
|
| One, when there simply isn't time to do
| |
| | wasn't any question in my mind,"
|
| it all right now, think about what might
| |
| | Richardson says. She ignored her official
|
| be called "the time-release career." Use
| |
| | quitting time and stayed at the hospital
|
| each stage of life to center on different
| |
| | until the patient was stabilized. She had
|
| goals -- so that work enjoys top billing
| |
| | missed her flight, but she decided that
|
| for long stretches but gives way to other
| |
| | if she drove fast, she still could get to
|
| priorities. Two, spell out your own
| |
| | tryouts on time. Partway through the
|
| definition of success, so that you can
| |
| | drive, she asked herself, Why am I doing
|
| aim for your targets instead of
| |
| | this? "I decided that if I needed to pull
|
| constantly being dependent on the
| |
| | over and sleep, it was just God's way of
|
| shifting demands of others. Three, find
| |
| | telling me, Enough," Richardson recalls.
|
| or create a supportive setting. If
| |
| | At 12:30 PM, after 30 sleepless hours,
|
| colleagues, bosses, and clients
| |
| | Richardson made it to the tryouts. Picked
|
| understand that work is merely a part of
| |
| | once again for the U.S. national team,
|
| an overall picture, there's hope. If not,
| |
| | she decided to train afresh for the 2000
|
| the burdens of the fast track can be
| |
| | Olympics. By now, she was a
|
| endless.
| |
| | half-generation older than many of the
|
| Can You Chase Two Dreams at Once? Barely
| |
| | other top U.S. players. She was still a
|
| a teenager, Dorothy "Dot" Richardson
| |
| | standout, still good enough to bat
|
| would draw crowds to watch her play
| |
| | leadoff. But it was time for her to move
|
| fast-pitch softball. In the early 1980s,
| |
| | over to second base and relinquish the
|
| she was a scholarship athlete at UCLA
| |
| | shortstop position to a dazzling new
|
| compiling a career batting average of
| |
| | player, 21-year-old Crystl Bustos.
|
| .367 and smacking extra-base hits with
| |
| | At the Olympics in Sydney, Richardson
|
| abandon. The moment when the afternoon
| |
| | turned in a bittersweet performance. She
|
| games were finished, Richardson's most
| |
| | batted just .179 and had a dreadful
|
| frantic dash began. Still dressed in her
| |
| | preliminary-round game against Japan,
|
| blue and gold uniform, she would race one
| |
| | making two 11th-inning errors that cost
|
| and a half miles to the organic-chemistry
| |
| | the United States the game. But she drove
|
| lab. Arriving anywhere from 15 minutes to
| |
| | in the winning run in a medal-round, 1-0
|
| 45 minutes late, she would then scramble
| |
| | victory against host Australia. Then,
|
| to her workbench -- and begin two to four
| |
| | when the U.S. team played Japan again for
|
| hours of chemical synthesis as part of
| |
| | the gold medal, she wheedled a walk to
|
| her pre-med training.
| |
| | set up the game-winning run. At a press
|
| Teammates thought that she was nuts. One
| |
| | conference afterward, she said that she
|
| of her coaches, Sue Enquist, watched
| |
| | "cherished every second" of the Olympics.
|
| bemusedly as this shortstop with
| |
| | While her softball days were nearing
|
| light-brown hair chased goals in two
| |
| | their end, Richardson's medical career
|
| distinctly different worlds: sports and
| |
| | was taking off in spectacular fashion.
|
| medicine. "She was a blur all through
| |
| | After USC, she landed a fellowship at the
|
| college," Enquist recalls. "I don't think
| |
| | prestigious Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic
|
| I ever saw her slow down. And she had
| |
| | in Los Angeles, where she put the
|
| this unshakable belief that everything
| |
| | finishing touches on her skills as an
|
| was going to work out great." For the
| |
| | orthopedic surgeon. There was a small
|
| next 17 years, Richardson made headlines
| |
| | competition, in fact, among leading
|
| with her softball skills while quietly
| |
| | clinics in California and Alabama that
|
| inching her way toward a lifelong career
| |
| | were trying to recruit her to their
|
| as a doctor. There were delays and
| |
| | fellowship programs.
|
| detours, including a dismal stretch in
| |
| | Once she started, partners at Kerlan-Jobe
|
| Florida right after college when the only
| |
| | decided that they liked what they saw.
|
| job that Richardson could get was
| |
| | "She was good with her hands," veteran
|
| delivering pizza. Eventually, though, she
| |
| | orthopedist Neal ElAttrache observes.
|
| put all the pieces together, becoming
| |
| | "Technical ability in the operating room
|
| both a fully trained orthopedic surgeon
| |
| | was not an issue. And her interpersonal
|
| and a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete.
| |
| | skills were outstanding.
|
| How Dot Richardson juggled those two
| |
| | She could relate to young people, to
|
| goals is every bit as interesting as what
| |
| | elderly people -- to anyone." Partway
|
| she accomplished. Each of her callings
| |
| | through her fellowship year, in fact,
|
| had intensely busy periods that demanded
| |
| | Richardson's two careers finally joined
|
| total concentration, with success or
| |
| | for a moment. She and ElAttrache were
|
| failure hanging in the balance. Yet she
| |
| | asked to operate on UCLA's best young
|
| gradually learned to space those
| |
| | softball player, Julie Adams.
|
| high-intensity bursts so that medicine
| |
| | Something in Adams's shoulder just wasn't
|
| and softball took turns and collided as
| |
| | right. X-rays showed a tiny tip of a
|
| little as possible. She also got steadily
| |
| | needle, broken off from a previous
|
| better at finding friends and mentors who
| |
| | surgery. It was floating in the midst of
|
| wanted her to succeed in both worlds --
| |
| | Adams's shoulder. Extracting it wouldn't
|
| not just the one that they knew best.
| |
| | be easy. But everyone felt that it was
|
| Richardson's story is rich with parallels
| |
| | Adams's best hope for a full recovery.
|
| for anyone trying to excel both at work
| |
| | Waiting anxiously outside the operating
|
| and at a special side interest.
| |
| | room was Sue Enquist, still the UCLA
|
| Lose control and you end up with two sets
| |
| | softball coach. Finally the doors opened.
|
| of friends, two sets of promises -- and a
| |
| | Out came Richardson, dressed in green
|
| never-ending sense that you're in the
| |
| | surgical scrubs. "Sue!" she exclaimed.
|
| wrong city, wasting time on the wrong
| |
| | "We got the needle out! She's going to be
|
| project at any given moment. Yet as
| |
| | all right." At that moment, Enquist
|
| Richardson puts it, it's unthinkable to
| |
| | remembers tears forming, partly out of
|
| lop off half your identity forever and to
| |
| | joy that her best young player would
|
| pretend that it never really mattered.
| |
| | finally be healed, but just as much to
|
| "All you can do is focus as hard as you
| |
| | behold what Richardson had become. The
|
| can on one thing at a time," she says.
| |
| | sweet-hitting shortstop of 17 seasons
|
| "That's what we're taught to do as
| |
| | earlier was now a big-league surgeon --
|
| surgeons." At first, Richardson couldn't
| |
| | and maybe even an all-star.
|
| get the balance right. In 1983, after
| |
| |
|