Do you feel haunted by the “never enough” gremlins? Feeling like no matter how much you achieve or how much you get done, it just never feels like quite enough. There’s always more you could be or do. This is exactly what we are talking about in this week’s episode with Dr. Kara Pepper.
You’ll learn:
- how she took the leap from traditional medicine into creating a telemedicine practice that aligns with her values
- how to distinguish between healthy striving and maladaptive perfectionism
- why carving out space and time to “rest” is actually one of the most productive things you could do.
I absolutely love this conversation and I cannot wait to share it with you.
Use the audio player above to listen, or tune in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Feeling trapped at work
As a former professional ballerina, Kara constantly strives for excellence in whatever she creates. She pursued medical school following the injuries caused by her eating disorder. She was already a perfectionist, so it felt natural and like a good way to develop. But with time, it developed into a maladaptive behavior in which she chose to be busy and work harder as a coping technique to avoid feeling uncomfortable rather than talking about her feelings and challenges. As a result, she becomes overworked and burnt out towards the beginning of her career.
When Hard Work Causes Burn Out
After seven years of work and burnout that left her feeling like a complete failure, Kara made the decision that she needed a sabbatical. She chose to take a 6-week break. She believed that after six weeks she would have everything under control, but that was not the case, and she still feels as though she needs to make a change. She has been open about her therapy for 12 years and had a coach, but she felt that she still needed to do more.
As Kara set out on her path to unwind, she let go of some of her self-worth beliefs, which helped her uncover the WHY behind what she was doing and recognize that they were at odds with her ideals.
“There is this idea, BLOOM WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED. I really tried to bloom, but sometimes you just need a different garden.
Dr. Kara Pepper
The WHY
Kara realized that LIFE IS SHORT. Although she works in the medical sector and is constantly putting herself at risk for her job, she feels as though she is living in an infinite amount of time. When COVID struck, that’s when she finally decided that she needed change. Her parents are getting older, and her kids are getting older. She doesn’t want to look back and regret missing this period of her life. She found a different way to take care of her patients on her own terms by taking care of other people while taking care of herself at the same time.
Nothing is Everything
Kara understood that the world did not have to change when she decided to transition. She, therefore, ensured that she would have enough time to rest, decompress, and consider her choice until she was ready. She relished the time she got to spend with her loved ones and realized that allowing yourself to rest is just as important as everything else. Being calm and ensuring that you have enough rest gives you more clarity, helps you make good decisions, and helps you enjoy life.
Your values are your priority
In Kara’s life, all her needs are put on hold and she lives off of 5 hours of sleep, and there’s not any space left aside from working. Before, she thought that work was equal to exhaustion and suffering. But now that she is transitioning to telemedicine, which is a more sustainable pace for her, there is a space for her to do other things aside from work. This also helped her build and highlight the things she values: generosity, creativity, and connection. By listening to your inner voice, you will learn how and where to make changes around you. Allow yourself to settle and check back in because the answer will always be there.
