How to Identify your Busy Blindspot as a Practice Owner

Episode 9:

Hi everyone, it’s Amy here. In today’s episode, I want to dive into a topic that’s been on my mind a lot lately—busyness. I’ve worked with hundreds of Allied Health Practice owners, and a common theme I hear is how busy they feel. The constant busyness can make it hard to focus on the tasks we love and are passionate about.

We get so caught up in clinical work and the day-to-day operations of running a practice that our minds are always full, and our hearts get neglected. We end up on a treadmill, reactive rather than proactive, and that’s not a great feeling. We often tell ourselves, “Once I get past this stage, it’ll be better,” but I encourage you to start making changes today. We have one wild, precious life, and I believe in running your best race in it.

Identifying Your Busy Blind Spots

From my work in the allied health space, I’ve identified four “busy blind spots” that contribute to our feelings of being overwhelmed. These are the Mouse, the Pigeon, the Kelpie Dog, and the Mountain Goat. You might have one dominant blind spot or a combination that changes over time. Recognising these can help you create space in your life.

I’ve developed a quiz to help you figure out which busy blind spot you have. Remember, no one blind spot is better or worse than another. These are simply behaviors and habits that contribute to your busyness. Let’s explore what each of these blind spots means.

The Mouse

The Mouse is all about hard work and getting the job done. You’re close to your business and clients, knowing every detail of the day-to-day operations. Without you, the practice loses momentum. While this dedication is admirable, it can lead to burnout if you’re not careful.

The Mountain Goat

If you’re a Mountain Goat, you’re focused on vision and impact. You’re not afraid of risks and have multiple projects on the go. However, jumping from one project to another without proper processes can be overwhelming.

The Pigeon

Pigeons like to pause and consider their options. They value their practice and want to protect it, often leading to analysis paralysis. This can be a barrier to taking action and moving forward.

The Kelpie Dog

The Kelpie Dog is loyal and caring, respected by team members and clients. However, this blind spot can lead to overcommitting and sacrificing personal time. I want to share a personal story about when this blind spot was dominant for me.

A few years ago, I started a lymphedema assessment clinic. It was a great service, but I became overrun with referrals. I was saying yes to everyone, and it became overwhelming. I wished I could restart and build it differently because my diary was overloaded, and I wasn’t showing up as my best self.

Overcoming the Kelpie Dog Blind Spot

If you resonate with the Kelpie Dog blind spot, here are three key activities to help:

1. Monthly Accountability Meeting: Block out time in your calendar to reflect on your goals and metrics. Check if you’re following your rules and boundaries.
2. Create a Flowchart: Develop a decision-making flowchart to help determine if taking on something new is a good idea. Consider if it matches your vision, values, and if it makes you happy.
3. Articulate Boundaries: Write down the rules you want to work within and start communicating them. This could be setting specific work hours or encouraging clients to email instead of calling.

Taking Action

If the Kelpie Dog blind spot resonates with you, start with these activities. If not, you might find you relate more to the Mouse, Pigeon, or Mountain Goat. Take the quiz to find out which one you are and get personalised steps to address your busy blind spot.

I hope you found this episode helpful. Understanding what makes us busy and unpacking those challenges can create a clearer path forward. Cheers to being less busy and making space for what truly matters in our lives. Thanks for being here.

To find out your busy blindspot, take the quiz now: https://the-connectionco.involve.me/busy-blind-spot-quiz

The book I mentioned in the episode is Atomic Habits by James Clear