Listen to an audio version of this column narrated by the author.

In the summer of 2018, I received a call from the director of Fox Rehabilitation. She asked me if I could squeeze a new patient into my schedule during the week. At first, I was reluctant to add a new case to my burgeoning caseload. For one thing, it was a home visit, and the patient lived at a considerable distance from my facility.

But an even bigger reason was that around this time I had begun to consider leaving the physical therapy profession. I had been feeling dissatisfied, especially with regard to burdensome documentation. I was pounding out notes on my computer instead of spending more time treating my patients during sessions and analyzing my techniques or treatment strategies to see how successful I was being at helping my patients meet their goals. My dissatisfaction had led to the illusion that “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” I was imagining myself treading a new and wonderful career path, even envisioning serving my church as a married deacon.