Ever feel like you’re living your own version of Groundhog Day? Not the cute furry animal prediction kind, but the Bill Murray movie kind – where the same challenging scenarios keep playing out day after day? As a physician mom, you might be nodding your head right now, thinking about those charts that always seem to pile up, or that perpetual feeling of being stretched too thin.
The Power of Our Thought Patterns
Just like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day kept waking up to the same day until he learned to make different choices, we often find ourselves trapped in our own loops – not because the day is literally repeating, but because our thoughts are.
Let’s take a common scenario I hear from my physician mom clients:
“It’s too much work or energy to close these charts now. I’ll do them later when I have more time.”
Sound familiar? This thought seems innocent enough in the moment. After all, you’re tired, you have patients waiting, your inbox is overflowing, and there’s always tonight or tomorrow, right? But here’s what typically happens next:
- The charts pile up
- You spend your precious evening hours thinking about the incomplete work
- The next day brings new patients and new charts
- The cycle continues, creating more stress and taking more time away from your family
The Real Cost of Repetitive Thinking
When we repeat these thought patterns, we create predictable results:
- More stress as work accumulates
- Less quality time with family
- Decreased job satisfaction
- A persistent feeling of being behind
Breaking the Loop: Mind-Based Solutions
The good news? Unlike the magical scenario in Groundhog Day, we don’t need supernatural intervention to break free. We just need to shift our thinking. Here’s how:
- Recognize Your Repeating Thoughts Instead of letting that familiar “I’ll do it later” thought slide by unnoticed, pause and acknowledge it. This awareness is your first step to change.
- Question Your Current Thinking Ask yourself: “Is putting this off really saving me time and energy, or is it creating more work for my future self?”
- Create New Thought Patterns Replace “It’s too much work to do now” with “Completing these charts now gives me more freedom later.”
A Real-Life Transform
One of my clients, a busy physician and mother of two used to consistently have open charts at the end of her clinic day. By shifting her thinking from “I don’t have time now” to “Ten minutes now saves me an hour of stress later,” she transformed her workflow. Within two weeks, she was leaving work with completed charts and enjoying uninterrupted evening time with her family.
Your Turn to Break Free
As you read this on Groundhog Day 2025, consider: What thought patterns are you ready to change? What “day” are you tired of repeating?
Remember, just as Phil Connors eventually broke free from his time loop by changing his approach to each day, you too can break free from repetitive patterns that aren’t serving you. The key lies not in working harder or finding more hours in the day, but in shifting the thoughts that drive your actions.
Ready to transform your own Groundhog Day scenario? Let’s work together to create lasting change. Your future self (and your family) will thank you.
