Ep. 99 | 3 Mistakes Preventing You From Loving Your Job In Vet Med (& How To Change That)

Feeling stuck, burned out, or at a crossroads in veterinary medicine—even though you thought this career would feel fulfilling?

In this episode, I break down three common mistakes that may be preventing you from truly loving your job in vet med—and how to start shifting toward a more aligned, sustainable, and fulfilling path.

We talk about why focusing on what’s “reasonable” can keep you stuck, how hustle culture success can leave you feeling empty, and why reconnecting with your core values is one of the most powerful ways to create real change.

If you’ve been feeling like you look good on paper but don’t actually feel good in your day-to-day life, this episode will help you start thinking differently about what’s possible.

Transcript:

This episode was originally recorded as a weekly Instagram Live, where I'm addressing common stressors in veterinary medicine and simple, practical shifts for more fulfillment and sustainable success.

Hello. Today we are talking about three mistakes preventing you from absolutely loving your job in vet med and what to do about it.

And I'm going to talk about this today because I have been connecting with many vets who are feeling at a crossroads, are feeling maybe on the verge of burnout, or wondering their next career step. And then I've also been hearing a lot of talk about negativity in the workplace, and so this is so connected to both of those things.

It's going to help you to find the most aligned, fulfilling path in vet med.

Mistake #1: Focusing on What’s “Reasonable”

Mistake number one is focusing on how you think you should be doing vet med, or what you think is reasonable.

So often when I am connecting with other vets and I'm asking, what would your ideal scenario be, their answer is already focused on what they think is reasonable versus what they would absolutely love.

And so that is the first thing that I recommend—allowing yourself to not have to figure out the logistics, not having to be reasonable, and really just allowing yourself to dream.

What would your ideal scenario be?

This is really important because otherwise, if you are already starting to think about what you think is reasonable, you're going to negotiate yourself down. And so even if you get what you are asking for, it's not going to feel totally fulfilling.

So when you take the time to write out a description of what your dream job would be, this is really helping to manifest. And manifesting is not this new thing—it really is helping to prime your brain to notice opportunities that are available to you so that the logistics work out afterwards.

To give you some examples, when I was in my journey recovering, at that point I was working as an associate and I was pretty fulfilled. I wasn't looking for another job, but I did have a manifestation list, and I knew what I wanted in the future.

And out of the blue, a recruiter reached out to me. Typically I would have just turned them down, but I knew there were these things that I wanted, and so I was open to just having a conversation.

And in sharing honestly what I wanted for the next step in my career, they introduced me to an opportunity that I had no idea existed—but it ended up being perfect.

It allowed me to move into doing more relief work in a way where I felt very supported. I had flexibility, and I was even able to contribute to wellbeing and writing articles.

Another example—when I worked in urgent care, I loved many aspects of it, but I was missing being able to do acupuncture.

Because I allowed myself to be honest about what I wanted, I ended up working out an opportunity with the owner to do acupuncture in the mornings when the building wasn’t in use.

That’s not something I would have thought was “reasonable,” but because I opened the conversation, the logistics worked out.

Mistake #2: Chasing Hustle Culture Success

The second mistake I see is chasing after hustle culture success instead of holistic success.

Hustle culture success leads us to always chase more or chase external validation. It looks good on paper, but it doesn’t feel good.

It creates that “carrot on the stick” feeling—where you think, as soon as I achieve this, things will feel better.

But that moment is so short, and then life keeps going. So you keep chasing the next thing, often at the expense of yourself.

Instead, really take time to think:

What does success feel like to me?

And what does that look like in a holistic way?

That includes:

• Physical (how do you feel in your body?)
• Mental (how do you feel at the end of the day?)
• Time (do you have time for your life?)
• Social (are you connected to people who matter?)
• Financial (what is “enough” for you?)
• Purpose/spiritual (what feels meaningful?)

For example, time was a big one for me. I used to feel like I had to ration PTO and wait for retirement to enjoy my life.

But shifting that to: what do I need now to enjoy my life? completely changed things.

And when I got clear on that, I was able to negotiate more PTO than I even thought was possible.

This clarity is not high maintenance—it’s a gift to your employer.

Because the alternative is burnout or leaving.

Even small changes—like being able to leave on time for a workout class—can make a huge difference in how you feel.

Mistake #3: Not Being Connected to Your Core Values

The third mistake is not being connected to your core values.

I recommend identifying 2–4 core values. These are the root of what brings you joy and fulfillment.

For me, my core values are:

• Connection
• Adventure
• Wellbeing
• Influence

When I feel disconnected from those, I feel it.

For example, during COVID, I felt burned out—and looking back, it made sense.

I had lost connection with clients, which was something I loved deeply.

When I realized that, I started focusing on how I could reconnect—even over the phone—and it shifted my experience.

Your values can guide:

• Career decisions
• Daily choices
• How you navigate challenges

They can also help you evaluate alignment between your values and your workplace values.

Final Reflection

So those are three places to start if you're feeling like you're looking good on paper, but you're not really feeling good.

It’s so important to know that you really can make vet med work for you.

When I went into vet med, I felt like there was one path—but that is not true.

When you allow yourself to be honest about what you want and get clear on what lights you up, things start to shift.

Ways to Go Deeper

And if you would like support exploring that, then that is what my Aligned Success Reboot is for.

So that is a six month integrative mind body coaching experience and community for driven professionals who want to thrive in their career with less overwhelm and less hustle, you want to feel good in your body with less restriction and to have time and energy for you without guilt.

And this is a space where we really help you to reconnect with yourself, your body, in so many ways.

We are taught to just push through, to ignore our bodies, and the reality is that your body and nervous system really are your compass for navigating health and success in a way that feels good.

And so this is for you if you want to have energy left at the end of the day to be a human outside of vet med, you want to feel more comfortable navigating challenges, you want to feel comfortable having boundaries, you really want to improve your communication and leadership, and you just want healthy habits that are actually enjoyable instead of feeling like another obligation.

That is what we do here.

And there are lots of ways that I support you.

There’s group and individual support, so that includes weekly group coaching calls. Those are also recorded.

There’s a monthly deep healing and unconscious unblocking call, and that is where we really help to create change at the unconscious level.

So often anything that is feeling stuck or challenging is really deep in your nervous system.

There is a private Life Boost website that has lots of self-paced courses where I also provide individual feedback.

So that’s on topics ranging from nervous system regulation, boundaries, decreasing your stress, to things like nutrition, gut health, blood sugar.

We look at the mind and body together.

And there are lots of other things like a community forum where you can connect with others, you can ask questions anytime.

I’m always adding new webinars, a private podcast.

There are so many ways that I can support you in that space.

And so there’s also private onboarding where I get to understand you, your specific challenges and goals, and I’m able to give you customized advice on where to start, how to make the most of that first month with working with the energy and capacity that you have.

So if you are interested in learning more, you can visit https://www.lifeboost.today/aligned-success-reboot

When you click “take the first step,” that will send you to some short questions that you can fill out, and that’s just a way for us to start a conversation to see if it is the right fit for you.

And please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Final Note

And please just know—if right now you're feeling stuck or unfulfilled in vet med, it does not have to stay that way.

This is a great place to start, but I'm also happy to chat with you, so just send me a message.

Thanks.