PEA Saturday Digest: Week of December 29, 2025 – January 4, 2026

The PEA SimpliMD Saturday Digest

Week of December 29, 2025 – January 4, 2026 This Week in Physician Micro Business

A Note From Me

The space between years is always interesting.

You are not fully in the past year anymore, but the new one has not asked anything of you yet. That pause can feel uncomfortable, especially for physicians used to constant motion.

This is where ownership begins to show itself. Not in grand resolutions, but in small decisions that create margin. Margin in time. Margin in money. Margin in how much pressure your work puts on your life.

This week’s posts all point to that same idea from different angles.

My Quote of the Week

“Independence doesn’t start when you quit. It starts when you create margin.”

That line connects every post this week, from debt payoff to lifestyle discipline to intentionally reshaping W 2 work.

This Week’s Blog Recap

🟦 Monday

The Weekend Locums Strategy That Crushed a Family’s Debt 🔗 Read more

Snippet: This post walks through a real physician story where targeted weekend locums work was used strategically, not endlessly, to eliminate debt without burning out. It shows how short-term effort can create long-term breathing room when used intentionally.

Why it matters: Extra income only helps if it is aimed at a clear outcome.

🟨 Wednesday

You Must Combat Lifestyle Creep as an Owner 🔗 Read more

Snippet: As income rises, spending quietly follows. This article breaks down why lifestyle creep is especially dangerous for physicians pursuing independence and how owners make different choices to protect margin.

Why it matters: What you keep matters more than what you earn.

🟩 Friday

Downshifting Your W 2 Job to Create Margin and Opportunity for Independence 🔗 Read more

Snippet: Not every transition requires a leap. This post explores how carefully reducing W 2 hours can create time, energy, and financial space to build something new alongside clinical work.

Why it matters: Independence often grows best when it is given room, not pressure.

Top Tool of the Week

The PEA Business Plan Bundle

Most physicians build independence in pieces and hope it holds together.

The PEA Business Plan Bundle helps you slow down and think through income streams, expenses, and priorities before making big moves. It creates clarity around what you are building and why, which is exactly what this week’s posts were pointing toward.

If you want margin to last, planning matters.

👉 Access the bundle here: https://www.simplimd.com/businessplan

Affiliate Partner Highlight

QuickBooks Online

Once you start running income through a business, you need clean visibility.

QuickBooks Online helps physician owners track income, expenses, and cash flow in one place without creating extra work. Clear numbers make better decisions, especially when you are creating margin and managing multiple income streams.

If you are serious about ownership, this is foundational.

👉 Explore QuickBooks Online: https://quickbooks.partnerlinks.io/7sn7y9gjneft

Resource of the Week

Free eBook: The PEA Guide to Building Your Business Team

No physician builds independence alone.

This free guide walks through how to identify, evaluate, and assemble the right support team as your business grows. From bookkeeping to legal help, it helps you stop guessing and start delegating with confidence.

If you are moving beyond solo decision making, this belongs in your toolkit.

👉 Download the free eBook: https://gamma.app/docs/PEAs-Build-Your-Business-Team-Guide-wofv9mmlvi11nug

PEA Membership Invitation

Ownership Happens in Stages

PEA is designed to support you wherever you are right now.

Explorer Membership For physicians learning how independence actually works.

Builder Membership For doctors creating structure, managing taxes, and protecting margin.

Pro Membership For owners refining income streams and building durable wealth.

If this week’s posts resonated, that is usually a sign you are already thinking differently.

👉 Join here: https://www.simplimd.com/PEAMembership

My Closing Charge to You

As the year begins, resist the urge to do everything at once.

Instead, ask yourself one honest question. Where could a little more margin change how this year feels?

That answer is often more powerful than any resolution.

I’m glad you’re here as we start what comes next.

— Tod