Reflection: Just Do It

Growth begins outside the comfort zone

Don’t be afraid, my friends. Just do it.

I want to share a few moments from my life that reminded me how often growth begins with discomfort.

Last week, I attended a conference for tax lawyers in San Diego. I had just finished my Master’s in Taxation and wanted to see how tax law is practice in the real world.

The halls were filled with experienced attorneys—many of them serious-looking and, frankly, a bit intimidating. I was one of very few people there who wasn’t lawyer or from a Big-Four tax firms. At first, I felt out of place—awkward and unsure, like I didn’t quite belong. But I reminded myself why I was there: to learn, to listen, and to move closer to a long-term goal of finding a like-minded tax attorney to build a tax practice for doctors.

So I started conversations with strangers (no alcohol involved—just nerves and intention), asked questions, and stayed curious. Those small steps turned into meaningful conversations, and I learned far more than I expected. I also met a tax attorney whose experience and perspective aligned closely with what I’ve been hoping to find in a future collaborator. We’ll see where it goes, but I’m grateful I showed up.

That experience brought back memories from earlier in my life. I graduated from a small, little-known college in Missouri with the hope of going to medical school in California—one of the most competitive places to do so. There was no clear roadmap, and there was plenty of doubt along the way. Instead of waiting until I felt ready, I moved to Berkeley (Thanks to Marvin Miranda Jr, MD — aka, “the big iguana”) and spent two years doing things that felt uncertain and uncomfortable, learning as I went. Eventually, I got in—but only after persistence, patience, and a lot of trial and error.

I had a similar experience with learning Spanish. Wanting to truly understand the language, I packed up and moved to Mexico knowing no one, with just a single phone number written on a piece of paper—belonging to a Korean exchange student studying Spanish in Guadalajara. It wasn’t easy, but that experience shaped how I practice medicine today and allowed me to connect more directly with patients in a way I deeply value.

What I want to share is simple: just do it, and keep trying.

If something meaningful has been sitting in the back of your mind, take a step toward it today—not tomorrow. You don’t need everything figured out. You just need to start. Sometimes, that first step leads you to a door you didn’t even know existed.