There’s a moment in every podiatrist’s career that is often not spoken about, but it should be, and it needs to be put under a magnifying glass and examined.
You’ve put in the work, built the clinic, and have it running like clockwork, and then one day you wake up and think, “This feels repetitive.”
It doesn’t mean you’re failing or that you’ve chosen the wrong profession, but you may have drifted off course a little.
On the Podiatry Legends Podcast, Ep 409, I spoke with good friend and psychologist Dr Dave Weiman about purpose, values and something he calls your “best self.”
This conversation with Dr Dave explains why even successful podiatrists sometimes feel a little flat and uninspired.
The Passion Myth
We’ve all heard it: follow your passion, love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life. It sounds great on a motivational poster, but in real life, it’s not exactly true.
Passion isn’t constant. Just like careers, they have their ups and downs and evolve over time. As your career grows, so do your responsibilities, and with that, the day-to-day pressure increases.
The problem isn’t that podiatry has changed. It’s that we’ve slowly drifted away from the reason we started. We’ve lost sight of our initial inspiration.
Purpose vs Busyness
Many podiatrists tell themselves they’re working harder “for their family.” But sometimes that hard work pulls them away from the very thing they value most.
When your daily behaviour doesn’t align with your core values, friction builds. It starts quietly, almost unnoticeable, and subtly builds over time.
That friction often shows up as boredom, frustration, irritability or burnout.
Your Best Self Test
During our conversation, Dave shared a simple but powerful question:
“When you show up at work and feel at your absolute best, who are you in that moment?”
Think about what that version of you looks like.
Are you:
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Listening carefully to your patients?
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Solving problems with curiosity and creativity?
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Using humour and making people feel comfortable?
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Building genuine connections with the people you treat?
Now take it one step further and ask yourself another question:
How often during your week do you actually show up like that?
If the answer is “not very often,” it doesn’t necessarily mean podiatry is the problem.
More often, it means something has drifted out of alignment between your work, your values, and the way you want to show up each day.
The good news is that alignment can be rebuilt.
Sometimes it only takes a few small adjustments to start feeling like yourself again in the clinic.
Look Back to Move Forward
One of the simplest exercises Dave recommends is this:
What did you love doing as a child?
Not what made you the most money or impressed others around you. What genuinely lit you up on the inside?
Those early interests often contain clues about who you are at your core.
I answered the question.
When Dr Dave asked me that question, I said I used to love recording and editing tapes, and creating something new from fragments. I would do this for hours and never got tired.
I also loved teaching what I had learnt to others.
Looking back, it’s no surprise I now host the Podiatry Legends Podcast, love the recording and editing process, and help podiatrists reshape their businesses.
So, ask yourself the same question and believe that the child is still in there. Unleash them and see what happens.
Recalibrating Without Burning It All Down
The answer isn’t quitting your clinic and changing professions entirely because a motivational speaker told you to.
The answer is smaller.
Reintroduce one thing that energises you back into your life. Sometimes, a small change that reignites your spark is enough to change everything.
If this resonates with you and you’d like help stepping back, recalibrating and building a podiatry business that supports your life instead of consuming it, reach out. Let’s have a conversation, you know where to find me.
But if you’re still not sure about scheduling a time to talk with me, that’s okay. Feel free to keep browsing my website.
You may even want to buy my book: It’s No Secret…There’s Money in Podiatry. ORDER HERE