Chiropractic Burnout Warning: The Danger of Staying “Capable”

Let’s talk about what really causes chiropractic burnout…This is Part 2 of The Bankruptcy Diaries — a 10-part series on how losing everything in the midst of severe chiropractic business burnout and resulting bankruptcy gave me back more than I could imagine on the other side.

The Facepalm (Lightbulb) Moment

You know those facepalm inducing lightbulb moments where clarity suddenly descends, the clouds part, angels sing and you wonder where this new realization has been all your life? I had one of those moments the first time I read The 6 Types of Working Genius by Pat Lencioni. My moment was more of a —“Holy s***, no wonder I ended up burned out and bankrupt. I  literally spent all of most of my days in my zone of competence or frustration”.  Suddenly, my chiropractic burnout experience and bankruptcy made so much more sense. 

10+ pages of journaling and deep thinking later I stood up, took a deep breath and did a little happy dance booty shake. I felt like I’d unearthed something huge in the process of healing from what is arguably my biggest failure. And the truth is, I had. 

Good at It ≠ Energized by It

The way I’d built my practice, led my team, approached patient care, marketed, and all the things I did because I was “supposed to” or another coach told me to were all firmly housed in my zones of competence and frustration. I pushed myself to be “good” at them. I actually felt more comfortable there because I spent so much time in those roles.But the majority of my work day drained my energy and left me an empty depleted shell at the end of the day. And that was before we hit financial difficulty. 

Bankruptcy Gave Me Space to Align with My Genius

My actual genius, which lies in the realm of invention, discernment, intuitive thinking and quite a bit of creativity, had little to no space or permission to be present in the rigid structure of the practice I built. 

The places it did show up in I tended to judge myself for as being the things that would make me “less successful” —like having a pack of office children with their own nanny and napping room or throwing large events for the community “just because”.

This is where bankruptcy blessed me with the space to Align with my own Genius in how I work…and in how I do life. I don’t think I would have reached a place of understanding myself and how I thrive in work without having the experience of losing it all. 

Today I share gratitude for the journey, because it’s led me to a place today where literally everything about how I build a business and allow myself to show up is different. And is 100% authentically me, and DIFFERENT. 

Chiropractic Burnout: It’s not that something is wrong with you — it’s that your current structure doesn’t allow you to do what you’re naturally brilliant at.

– The Bankruptcy Diaries

Start Leading From Your Genius

What’s contributing to your chiropractic burnout? What aspects of your work absolutely drain you? What lights you up? Consider that it’s not that something is wrong with you, it’s that you don’t have permission to do the things you’re naturally gifted at and derive energy and joy in doing in the way you currently work. 

The concept of The 6 Types of Working Genius is now one of the pillars I teach in the Aligned Authority Leadership Workshop (along with strengths based leadership). If you’re having your own light bulb moments reading this, consider taking the Aligned Authority Workshop as a course or jumping into the Aligned Authority Group Program. This one distinction can literally completely transform your experience of practice.  Click the button below or click here to learn more about working with us.