Getting Unstuck: How a Simple Mind Shift Can Move Your Life Forward
An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in April, 2024
If you’re a physician, you’re probably juggling patient care, administrative tasks, and personal responsibilities like a boss. But when you feel the need for something beyond the daily routine, whether that’s professional growth, personal renewal, or a new path, it can feel daunting.
Maybe you’re wanting to learning a new procedure, launch a research project, carve out space for self-care, or perhaps you’re even considering a major career move. These big moves can feel daunting. So despite your motivation to move forward, it’s common to feel caught in a loop—busy but stuck in place, like a hamster on a treadmill.
As a physician coach, I see this often. From the inside, the obstacles can feel huge. But there’s always a way through, and it starts with understanding what’s holding you back.
In this article, I’ll explore common reasons that physicians feel immobilized, and I’ll offer you some strategies that will get you moving forward with purpose.
Break the Cycle of Habit Loops
The issue may not be a lack of action. Instead, you may find yourself defaulting to actions that feel safe and predictable in the moment, but don’t truly move you forward. It’s a common trap. Whether it’s procrastinating on notes, sidestepping difficult conversations, or saying yes too often, these autopilot habits can hold you back from the progress you want.
➡️Strategy: Notice your default loops and interrupt them. Swap one unhelpful behavior for something small but different. That could be finishing one note before checking email, setting a five-minute timer to reflect before agreeing to a request, or committing to learning something new each week. Even tiny pattern shifts break the cycle and let in some light.
Stop Overthinking and Start Moving
Other times, the problem isn’t repetition, it’s hesitation. You know that you need to make a change, but fear of making the wrong choice or endless analysis of your options keeps you frozen. You tell yourself you’re “waiting for the right time,” but in reality, you’re letting opportunities slip by while the decision sits untouched.
➡️Strategy: Embrace the concept of “progress, not perfection.” Understand that inaction is also a decision, and sometimes the most costly one. Choose a single, manageable step aligned with your goals. Build momentum gradually, and your confidence will rise with each action you take.
Handle Challenges Before They Grow
Unresolved problems don’t vanish. They tend to grow tentacles and multiply. Whether patient-related, administrative, or personal, ignoring nagging issues drains your energy and makes forward motion harder.
➡️Strategy: Be proactive. That doesn’t mean you solve everything on the fly. Instead, put each issue in its place: delegate it, schedule time to address it, or say no. Building this habit can turn obstacles into action points instead of lingering stressors.
The Weight of Incomplete Tasks
Unfinished notes and half-done tasks are a huge mental burden. For physicians, this irritating backlog is not only stressful but can compromise patient care. It’s a constant source of attention residue that saps your brainpower and makes you less efficient.
➡️Strategy: Get that stuff done. Use templates, smart phrases, and to-the-point documentation practices to streamline charting. Tackle your inbox with a “touch it once” mindset: respond, delegate, or delete. Time-management tools like time-blocking or the Pomodoro Technique can keep you on track and reduce overwhelm.
Reclaim Your Value
You know your work matters. Your patients count on you, and you make a difference in their lives. Yet it’s common for physicians to undervalue themselves. When that happens, you may find yourself stuck in toxic environments, missing out on opportunities, or saying yes to projects that drain your energy and don’t serve your best interests.
➡️Strategy: Practice self-reflection and affirmation to strengthen your sense of worth. Journaling can be a very useful exercise. So can revisiting a folder or a box with notes of appreciation from patients and colleagues. When needed, work with a coach to clarify your values and goals, and build confidence.
Stop Living by Other People’s Expectations
From family expectations to workplace culture, many physicians find themselves following someone else’s script. Over time, this can leave you in roles that don’t align with your values.
➡️Strategy: Define success on your own terms. Take time to reflect on what success means to you, both personally and professionally. Living authentically creates momentum and fulfillment that external definitions of success never will.
Moving Forward
Feeling stuck doesn’t have to be a way of life. When you begin to recognize what’s keeping you in place and apply intentional strategies, you can shift from stagnation to forward motion.
Anchor yourself in your values, trust your resilience, and let small actions become stepping-stones toward change. As you shift your mindset from simply accepting the status quo to creating space for growth, you’ll begin to notice opportunities opening where you once only saw obstacles.
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