72. No gas left in the tank?

February 14, 2025

In this episode of OT Yourself to Freedom, Beki Eakins talks about burnout, frustration, and feeling stuck in the OT profession. If you’re tired of endless admin, long meetings, and feeling like your work doesn’t make a real impact, this is for you.

Beki explores the allure of job security, the cost of staying in your comfort zone, and why discomfort is often a sign that it's time to make a change. She also shares her personal story of realising she had lost her passion and the pivotal moment that led her to create a business aligned with her purpose.

Key Takeaways:

Feeling stuck is a sign that something needs to change, it’s not the end, it’s a new beginning.
Burnout happens when your values don’t align with your work – if your job is draining you, it’s time to rethink your next steps.
Security is an illusion – a steady paycheck doesn’t always mean stability or happiness.
You don’t need to see the full plan, just take the first step and the rest will unfold.
Decluttering your commitments and setting boundaries makes space for your future business.
Excuses like “I don’t have time” keep OTs stuck
The best way to create impact might not be within the traditional OT system .
Burnout is a wake-up call, not a dead-end

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Are you ready to leave the whinger mindset behind and embrace your inner go-getter? Beki helps OTs worldwide design, launch, and scale their online businesses. Learn how to tap into your purpose and create an offer that sells with ease..

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Main topic
00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – Feeling Stuck in OT?
02:30 – Burnout is Not the End – It’s the Start of Something New
05:00 – Why We Stay in Jobs That Make Us Unhappy
10:00 – My Wake-Up Call: The Day I Knew I Had to Leave
15:00 – Discomfort Pushes You to Grow
18:00 – Taking the First Step – Even if You’re Scared
22:00 – Making Space for Change
30:00 – Time: The Biggest Excuse OTs Use
40:00 – The Pivot: How to Move from Employment to Freedom
50:00 – Final Words – You Are Not Stuck!

About the Podcast

OT Yourself To Freedom Podcast helps occupational therapists create a life and business they love. Host Beki Eakins shares practical tips, strategies, and real-world stories to inspire your journey to freedom

Episode Transcript

Podcast Transcript: No Gas Left in the Tank?
Host: Beki Eakins – Business, Mindset, and Lifestyle Coach for OTs

00:00 – Hi, I'm Beki Eakins, Business, Mindset, and Lifestyle Coach for Occupational Therapists.
00:05 – I focus on creating a freedom-based online business for OTs.
00:10 – I help OTs package their skills into unique and exciting offers that sell easily.
00:15 – Since leaving the OT profession, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients online.
00:20 – I help them build a life they feel inspired by.
00:25 – This podcast will cover lifestyle goals, mindset, and strategy.
00:30 – You need these to create your own life of freedom.
00:35 – Welcome to the OT Soft Freedom Podcast.
00:40 – Have you ever looked around your OT office and thought, “Is this it?”
00:45 – Maybe you’ve felt the frustration of watching good therapists become admin robots.
00:50 – Maybe you feel stuck in endless bureaucracy, knowing clients aren’t getting what they need.
00:55 – If that’s you, this podcast is for you.
01:00 – Spoiler alert—this isn’t the end.
01:05 – The frustration you feel is just the beginning.
01:10 – Many OTs tell me, “I’ve run out of gas.”
01:15 – They say, “I don’t feel excited about my work anymore.”
01:20 – They feel their work conflicts with their personal values.
01:25 – That frustration? It’s not the end—it’s the beginning.
01:30 – It could be the start of something exciting and fulfilling.
01:35 – When things feel like they’re falling apart, they may actually be coming together.
01:40 – Let’s talk about why OTs stay in jobs that don’t excite them.
01:45 – One reason is comfort—the security of employment.
01:50 – A guaranteed paycheck makes staying feel like the safe option.
01:55 – You don’t have to make big decisions when you’re employed.
02:00 – The predictability of a job can feel reassuring.
02:05 – When you’re starting out, safety and stability matter.
02:10 – I remember thinking, "My pension and benefits are important."
02:15 – I thought maternity leave and annual leave were essential.
02:20 – These things felt like security at the time.
02:25 – But here’s the thing… are they really enough?
02:30 – Comfort can actually start to smother you.
02:35 – It might not happen straight away, but it will over time.
02:40 – A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are built for.
02:45 – We’re not built to just get by.
02:50 – A regular paycheck and predictable schedule are not enough.
02:55 – Many OTs start to trade their dreams for coping.
03:00 – That’s when the frustration really starts to build.
03:05 – The grey office days, endless meetings, and bureaucracy take over.
03:10 – Government changes bring new initiatives, only for them to be scrapped later.
03:15 – It all starts to feel like a never-ending cycle.
03:20 – Brilliant therapists are reduced to ticking boxes.
03:25 – You might start to feel like your passion is slipping away.
03:30 – I remember the exact moment I knew I had to leave OT.
03:35 – I looked around the office, and everything felt dull.
03:40 – There were no windows.
03:45 – My team looked drained of life.
03:50 – People I once knew as passionate therapists had lost their energy.
03:55 – It wasn’t just sad. It was terrifying.
04:00 – I realised, “I’m turning into one of them.”
04:05 – We had gone through seven different bosses in a short time.
04:10 – We were constantly thrown into new initiatives.
04:15 – Each one was dropped when a new boss arrived.
04:20 – The team spirit had slowly been destroyed over the years.
04:25 – We were working in an office with no windows.
04:30 – It just epitomised everything wrong with the system.
04:35 – One day, I looked up and everyone looked like zombies.
04:40 – They had lost their passion and fight.
04:45 – Jim Rohn said, “If you don’t like where you are, move. You’re not a tree.”
04:50 – That quote stuck with me.
04:55 – But at the time, moving felt impossible.
05:00 – I stayed stuck for years, simmering in frustration.
05:05 – I told myself, “I can’t leave because of the money.”
05:10 – But now I see, the real trap was in my mind.
05:15 – Many OTs are stuck in the same place right now.
05:20 – The frustration and burnout feel like a dead end.
05:25 – But actually, they’re a turning point.
05:30 – Discomfort isn’t your enemy—it’s your catalyst for change.
05:35 – Think about it—diamonds only form under pressure.
05:40 – Leaving your job can feel terrifying.
05:45 – Especially if you don’t have a clear plan.
05:50 – Martin Luther King said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
05:55 – You can’t see the whole journey in advance.
06:00 – But you can start with small steps.
06:05 – Maybe it’s reading a business book.
06:10 – Maybe it’s reaching out to a mentor.
06:15 – Maybe it’s simply journaling about what excites you.
06:20 – If you’re listening to this, you’re already thinking about your next step.
06:25 – You might have already started taking action.
06:30 – The point is, you don’t have to have it all figured out.
06:35 – Growth happens outside your comfort zone.
06:40 – You don’t need to jump straight into the unknown.
06:45 – But you do need to start moving.

72. No gas left in the tank?

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