The Real Reason You Feel Stuck (and How to Fix It)
Practice owners don’t feel stuck and exhausted because they lack skill or commitment. They feel stuck and exhausted because they have no idea where they’re headed. And nothing drains your energy faster than a life without direction.
This time of year always sparks big-picture thinking for me. Fresh calendars, quieter days, and a little breathing room create the perfect moment to look ahead and ask:
What do I want this year to look like?
Where do I want to be in five years?
What direction am I actually steering this ship?
But here’s the truth: Without a clear vision, this reflective season doesn’t bring clarity — it brings anxiety.
Leadership research shows:
Only 47% of business owners have a long-term vision.
Vision-driven leaders make decisions 20–40% faster.
A defined vision reduces burnout by offering direction and focus.
Small businesses with clear 5–10 year goals grow up to 30% faster.
Yet most practice owners I meet feel stuck in today, unable to look beyond the next appointment block or the next day. I get it. I’ve been there. And one of my clients was right in that place too.
“I Feel Like I’m Going Nowhere.”
“I feel like I’m going nowhere,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can, but nothing is changing. And I don’t even know what I want anymore.”
She wasn’t failing — she was directionless. So I asked her two questions no one had ever asked her:
“Five years from now, is this what you want to be doing? What about ten?”
Silence.
She realized she’d been running her practice by reacting to whatever each day demanded. There was no space — mentally or physically — to think about her future. Once we walked through a visioning and goal-setting exercise, everything shifted.
She realized she didn’t want to be the only doctor forever. She did want more freedom within five years. She did want the ability to step back in ten. She did want a stable, profitable business she could eventually sell.
And that’s when something important became clear:
Her current space couldn’t support the future she envisioned. At just 1,000 square feet, she didn’t have room to hire another doctor, expand services, or generate the revenue needed to create long-term sustainability.
Her limitations weren’t just emotional — they were structural. She didn’t need to work harder. She needed a destination.
Clarity Creates a Path
Once she had a vision, the next steps practically wrote themselves:
Hire support so she wasn’t the only engine generating revenue
Explore real estate options that allowed for true growth
Talk to lenders about financing
Begin building the team and systems that matched the future she wanted
Vision didn’t magically solve her problems. It gave her a framework to make decisions with confidence.
When Life Happens, Vision Protects You
And that proved to be important — because life threw her a curveball.
Her landlord decided to sell. The new owner planned to double her rent and didn’t value having a veterinary practice in the space long-term. A year earlier, this news would have sent her spiraling. But this time?
She took a breath and said: “I’m stressed… but I’m not panicking. I know where I’m headed. I know my next steps. I’m ready.”
That’s the power of vision. It doesn’t prevent challenges — it prepares you to meet them with clarity instead of chaos.
If You Don’t Define Your Future, Your Future Gets Decided for You
Without a clear vision, everything becomes harder than it needs to be.
You spend more time reacting than deciding.
You struggle to prioritize because everything feels equally urgent.
You make choices based on what’s happening today instead of what you want long-term.
And it becomes easy to lose connection with the bigger picture that once inspired you.
Vision doesn’t eliminate challenges. It helps you navigate them with purpose.
Your Next Chapter Starts Now
You worked incredibly hard to get here — to become a veterinarian, to build a practice, to serve your community. But now that you're here…
Where are you going next?
Back in 2024, I shared two posts about the role vision played in my own journey, along with a workbook to help you walk through the same visioning and goal-setting process yourself. It’s been a while since I’ve revisited that topic, but the message is just as relevant — maybe even more so now. This post picks up that thread and lays the groundwork for more resources I’ll be sharing to help you design your next chapter with clarity and intention.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
If you’re feeling what my client felt — overwhelmed, unsure, stuck — you don’t have to stay there.
👉 Start here for last year's blogs and workbook: How Vision Can Change Your Life https://www.realityvet.com/vettingreality/how-your-vision-can-change-your-life
Your future won’t design itself. But you absolutely can.
