Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists. If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, I want you to know that’s completely normal. When you’re in the building phase of scaling your group practice, you’re literally building a house! This is where the heavy lifting happens, but I promise you, once the house is built and furnished, it will feed you for life.
I know you’re giving so much right now, and there’s just SO much on your mental load. The constant interruptions, your never-ending to-do list, all the ideas swirling in your head, and everything you have to remember. It can seriously feel impossible to keep track of it all without burning out (if you haven’t already).
That’s why I’m sharing the five tools that helped me reduce my mental load when I was scaling my group practice to 55 therapists and multiple 7-figures in just 3 years! I promise these are so much more than just organization hacks. These are systems that will prevent decision fatigue and help you actually enjoy this journey instead of just surviving it.
P.S. Not a huge fan of reading blogs? (I’m more of a podcast girl myself) You can listen to my podcast episode all about this topic by clicking here or by watching my YouTube video below!
Tool #1: Your Phone’s Voice Assistant
This is probably going to be your new BFF! I use Siri to keep my brain completely empty so I can stay in flow and be creative without decision fatigue.
Here’s how it works: The moment I have any thought – whether it’s a simple reminder, something I need to follow up on, or even just noticing we’re out of blue pens at the front desk – I immediately say “Hey Siri, set a reminder for tomorrow.”
Examples of what I would delegate to Siri:
- “Set a reminder for tomorrow to update the speciality page”
- “Set a reminder for tomorrow to talk to Dan about buying new bikes for the kids”
- “Set a reminder for tomorrow to give feedback to admin about deadlines”
I even do this in the middle of conversations! If I’m talking with someone and notice something needs to be done, I’ll say “Just one sec” and get it out of my head immediately. This way, I can be fully present instead of trying to remember everything at all times.
The key is getting thoughts out of your head the moment they appear, so they don’t clog up your mental space or cause you to drop balls later.
Tool #2: The Reminders App (AKA: Your Daily Triage System)
Now that Siri has been collecting all your thoughts (we love her!), you need a system to actually deal with them. This is where the magic happens!
Block off 45 minutes every morning (I did 8:45-9:30AM) to go through your reminders and triage everything. Turn off all notifications and focus completely on this process.
Here’s how to triage your tasks:
- Urgent tasks: Post-it notes (we’ll talk about these next)
- Things you can delegate: Assign to your team immediately
- Ideas for later: Move to your Notes app
- Things you can push: Reschedule for next week
During this triage time, you’re not actually doing most of the work. You’re just organizing it and getting it to the right place and people! This prevents overwhelm because you’re making decisions about your day instead of reacting to whatever comes up.
Tool #3: Post-It Notes (Yes, You Read That Right)
Post-it notes are for anything truly urgent that you literally need to do TODAY. I know this might seem old-school, but visual reminders are incredibly powerful, especially when you’re in the growth phase of building your practice.
Where I would put post-its:
- Right on my desk for things I need to do before starting client work
- On my door frame for things I need to handle before leaving the office
- Anywhere they’ll be impossible to ignore
Hot Tip: This also works for interruptions. If someone knocks on your door while you’re in the middle of an email, write a quick post-it note about what you were doing before you deal with the interruption. When you come back, you’ll know exactly where your brain left off!
Tool #4: Phone Alarms (For the Non-Routine Stuff)
I use alarms less frequently, but they’re perfect for things that are outside your normal routine. Maybe you have a meeting later than usual, or there’s something you need to remember to do before leaving the office that’s not in your calendar.
Set an alarm for anything that’s important but not part of your regular schedule. The gentle notification will remind you without the stress of trying to remember it all day.
Tool #5. The Notes App (AKA: Your Central Command)
This is where all your organized thinking lives! During your morning triage, you’ll be moving things from Reminders into specific Notes, creating a central hub for different areas of your group practice.
Here are the Notes I’d create:
Team Meeting Note: As thoughts come up throughout the month about what you want to discuss with your team, they go here. By the time your monthly meeting arrives, you’ll have a complete agenda without scrambling.
Admin Meeting Note: For weekly check-ins with your admin. This reduces constant interruptions because they know you’ll address non-urgent questions in your regular meeting.
Ideas Note: Separate notes for blog ideas, marketing ideas, social media content, or any other creative projects.
The beauty of this system is that you show up to every meeting prepared, without having to think about what to discuss because you’ve been collecting agenda items naturally throughout the week!
Bonus: Creating White Space in Your Calendar
Here’s something that will totally change your life: put 30 minutes of white space between everything on your calendar. Yes, everything.
This gives you time to:
- Handle those urgent post-it note tasks
- Check in with your team
- Breathe and reset between activities
- Actually process what just happened instead of rushing to the next thing
I know it feels counterintuitive when you’re busy, but this white space is what prevents burnout and keeps you organized throughout the day.
Systems That Work for Scaling Your Group Practice
When I followed this system religiously, nothing fell through the cracks. And that’s honestly how I was able to grow so fast! By capturing everything and having a process to deal with it all.
You might be thinking this sounds like a lot, but I want you to remember that even doing 50%-60% of this system will bring you massive relief. The goal is for progress and peace of mind, not perfection.
Once you get this system down, you’ll find yourself leaving the office earlier, feeling more in control, and actually having mental space to think strategically about growing your practice instead of just putting out fires all day.
Want even more tips on growing your practice? Follow me on Instagram and listen to my podcast for all the best support for growing your therapy practice and attracting more clients!
Your business bestie,
Nicole
