What is Overwhelm?
August 21, 2012
Running a practice requires that you wear many hats. Not only do you have to be an amazing practitioner, which you went to school to learn and are passionate about, but you also have to be a shrewd businessperson, which many of you absolutely hate doing!
So many young practitioners go into practice with every illusion of helping lots of people and making a great living only to find themselves buried under all of the daily tasks of running a business. It is very easy to get jaded and find yourself dreading each coming day… not because you no longer enjoy the work, but because you just really don’t want to deal with running the business!
It is easy to lose yourself to the joy of serving. Bills begin to pile up, paperwork is looming and you have a stack of mail to go through that dates back a few months or dare I say, years! You are getting great results with your clients, but it is just no longer fun showing up for work. The stress is at an all time high and you just feel, well, OVERWHELMED!
I find that overwhelm is merely a state of being where you no longer are fully committed to the processes that will get you to the end goal. Think about it. If you truly knew that each element of your business would actually open more doors to serving more and having more freedom to serve, then maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to tackle those tasks.
Now, if some of those tasks simply do not serve your practice vision, then maybe they actually need to be delegated!
I find that typically those who are “overwhelmed” also are lacking clear goals. That is one of the reasons they feel lost. If your goal is simply to show up and see your clients then of course you feel overwhelmed!
Start out by writing down five clear goals for your practice. From there you can begin to understand what processes or systems would have to be developed or followed in order to track down your goals. If you find yourself doing things that are not directly related to your goals, then those tasks need to be delegated.
Give it a shot. Let me know how that works out for you!
Posted by shawn
Hi Shawn:
Thanks for the blog.
Automation….Paperless office….that’s what I’m talking about! I spend too much time on note writing. Once this system is in place more of my time can be spent on my goals and vision for my practice.
“if you find yourself doing things that are not directly related to your goals, then those tasks need to be delegated” Low priority items are so numerous that if the doctor doesnt delegate those to a staff member, the work load seems insurmountable! Oh Yes, This is something that has really started to help me in the last year or so.
Thanks for your blog and awesome reminder…. Being Busy does not mean we are being efficient in accomplishing what we need to.
Thank you Sarah! I am glad that you continue to find value here at ShawnDill.com! Keep up the great work. I love watching you have success!
Systems are key in your practice. It takes mental energy to do the same thing many different ways. Not a big deal when you have a few items, but can overwhelm you quickly if there is nothing in place to manage the flow.
I agree! Super strong systems are the key to practice success!
Dr. Dill,
I appreciate the blog post, especially at a time in school where it seems like tests are never ending. At the beginning of my graduate student career I am already feeling a little of this overwhelmed feeling; as I feel like the work that I want to be doing is in the distant future.
You’re absolutely right though, it is a state of mind, as soon as I start to think that the more I apply myself to my studies now the greater knowledge I will have and will then be able to service my patients better in the future. Thank you!
Hang in there! Keep focused on the end goal and make sure nothing gets in your way! You will be out there serving before you know it!
Great post Shawn, you hit the nail on the head… “if you find yourself doing things that are not directly related to your goals, then those tasks need to be delegated” Low priority items are so numerous that if the doctor doesnt delegate those to a staff member, the work load seems insurmountable! the key is to only focus on the highest priority activities that help you achieve your goals (as you’ve said) and shed the rest!! freedom and an enjoyable stress free practice at last!!
Thank you for the comment Jared! I have seen many docs drown in the work load of the low priority items! Free at last!!!