← All ResourcesFor Dentists

Activity vs. Achievement: Escaping the Hamster Wheel

Published January 25, 2026

1. The Disruption (Challenge the Model)

You judge your day by how tired you are.

"I saw 25 patients today! I must have made money."

False.

You can dig a hole and fill it back up for 12 hours. You will be exhausted. But you accomplished Zero.

2. The Anchor (The Familiar Experience)

  • Person A is on a Treadmill. They run 10 miles. They sweat buckets. But they are in the same spot.
  • Person B is Hiking. They walk 2 miles. But they are at the top of the mountain.

The Effort was the same. The Vector was different.

3. The Reorganization (The "Oh" Moment)

Your schedule is the Treadmill.

  • A 30-minute exam for a patient who buys nothing = Treadmill.
  • A 1-hour denture adjustment = Treadmill.

You feel productive because the belt is moving. But the bank account isn't climbing.

4. The Why (The Mechanism)

This is "Opportunity Cost."

Every hour on a $100 procedure is an hour you cannot spend on a $1,000 procedure.

5. The Solution (Compression)

The Production Per Hour (PPH) Rule:

Calculate your overhead per hour (e.g., $400).

If a procedure doesn't generate at least $400/hr, you shouldn't be doing it.

  1. Identify the "Treadmill" blocks in your day.
  2. Replace them with "Hiking" blocks (High-value production).

How ChairFill Can Help

Chairfill scans your patient database to find the "Hikers" — patients who need high-value treatment. It prioritizes booking them into your prime slots, pushing "Treadmill" work to the side.

Learn More About ChairFill

Stop Losing Revenue to Cancellations

ChairFill automatically fills your cancellations and no-shows with patients who want to be seen sooner. Set it up once and let it work for you.

Get Started Free