The new year is here, and you’ve probably already come up with a list of your goals for 2025. If you haven’t, now is the time to start! Many people give up on their new year’s resolutions two or so months into the year. However, when you set attainable goals, you have a better chance of making them last throughout the year, which will hopefully then turn into habits or just your normal way of living! This blog is focused on helping you manage your goals for the new year. Let’s dive in!
The first step to setting any goal is to make sure it’s SMART. The SMART acronym stands for: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. In the healthcare industry, setting goals that aren’t practical or logical could lead to challenges in patient care and professional development. Rather than waste your time on unattainable goals, develop some SMART goals that you can accomplish in your nursing practice for the new year.
When managing your goals, it’s a good idea to write them down and put them somewhere you will often see them. This will not only serve as a helpful reminder of your goals, but it will also hold you more accountable. For instance, if you keep a list of your goals on your bathroom mirror, the break room fridge, your phone/computer, or your nightstand, then you’re bound to see them at some point throughout your day. Odds are your family or colleagues will also see them, which will remind them to also help keep you accountable in achieving your healthcare and life goals.
To avoid getting overwhelmed by some of your bigger goals, segment them out. You can do this by creating steps to get to that goal depending on what it is. For instance, if your goal for the new year is to run a half marathon as a beginner runner, then it would be beneficial to ease into this goal with several steps. Step one could be to buy a nice pair of running shoes, step two could be to learn how to warm up for runs with different stretches, step three could be to find a training program that has both strength training and a running program, and so on. You’ll find your big goal much for attainable by splitting the steps up.
Take a moment and look back at the goals you’ve set in previous years, especially those related to your healthcare career. What goals did you make in your nursing practice? Were they SMART goals tailored to your professional development? How did you go about achieving them? When analyzing your past goals, try to think about what worked for you when you accomplished your goals. Further, think about what didn’t work for you as well so you don’t make the same mistake. By reflecting on the past, this can help you realize what things you could change or do differently this time around.
If you feel like you have too many goals, but you still want to prioritize them all, try categorizing them. For example, you could have categories related to your healthcare career, fitness, education, health, and more. Once you have all of your goals categorized, you’ll find they feel more achievable because you can focus on one goal from each category at a time.
Every month or so, you might want to consider sitting down and reviewing your goals. Are you on track to achieve your goals? Do you think you should slow things down and adjust accordingly? The last thing you want to do is push yourself too hard because you might have feelings of burnout, which many nurses know all too well about, and lose all interest in your goals.
This leads us to our last tip on managing your goals. Give yourself a break when you know you need it. Your body and mind will thank you for it! Pushing yourself too hard could result in decreased time working towards your goals or just giving up on them altogether. Having an all or nothing mindset is the opposite of what you need to achieve your goals, especially in nursing. Remember, even if you’re giving 10% effort towards your goals, at least you’re still trying
Favorite believes in everyone who sets out to accomplish their goals! We hope this blog helps you with managing your goals for the new year. As humans, there’s always room for improvement. Even if you make a little bit of progress towards your goals, you’ve still made progress and that is a positive thing. If one of your goals is to start your dream job with Favorite, search our open jobs today!