Why Set Goals

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” - Denis Watley ¹ 

In the rapidly shifting landscape of healthcare, it is easy to see the multitude of uncertainties facing physicians and providers. Whether making decisions about specialty, private practice or hospital employment, career transformation, retirement, etc. Achieving work/life balance has never been so turbulent. When facing so many unknowns, every day challenges can be overwhelming. Developing and focusing on short and long term goals for your professional and personal life can help.

Setting goals and staying on track to achieve those goals can be difficult, but the benefits are worth the effort. For example:

1. Goals create motivation.
2. Individuals who define and commit to completing their goals will typically achieve more of the things they desire making them feel more successful in all areas of their lives.
3. Those who set goals and are successful in meeting those goals are often more satisfied with their work, and have higher levels of self-confidence.
4. Effective goal setting is beneficial because it creates a general “can do” attitude and results in higher levels of happiness throughout life.²

A RESOURCE FOR SETTING AND ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

Goal setting is not easy for everyone. And in the complicated world of stressed and burned out physicians and providers, with competing professional and personal needs, it can be overwhelming. In reality, physicians are less likely to reach out for help and therefore need a different way to educate and empower themselves to make decisions on how to set and achieve their goals.³ Peer coaching can be a great resource in this area. Talking with a peer who has walked in your shoes and who understands the work and personal issues physicians and providers experience is a great way to start the dialogue on determining where you want to go next and how you can get there.

How it works

Physician Peer Coaching from VITAL WorkLife is frequently done over the phone to allow physicians to work with coaches in geographies distant enough where they're not likely to encounter each other on a regular basis. Face-to-face coaching sessions are also available, depending on your location. You decide which modality best meets your needs. On your first call, you'll speak to a VITAL WorkLife senior consultant who can answer questions and assist in facilitating your first coaching session. Your peer coach can serve in many roles including:

• A sounding board for ideas on setting career and personal goals – Coaches bring a different perspective. A coach can see missing pieces of the puzzle. They can see possibilities previously not ever considered.
• A confidential and sympathetic listener – physicians and providers are usually the ones listening to the problems of patients. However, they have their own problems, dilemmas, goals, and dreams and often don’t have the same access to dedicated listeners in our lives.
• A mentor who can help you brainstorm possible solutions and hold you accountable – Coaches can help see existing situations or challenges in a new way and therefore get a deeper meaning or understanding of barriers to success and how to overcome them. Not only will your coach help you create a strategy, a plan, and a solid structure to support you in reaching your goals, but he/she will also hold you accountable at every step.

We Can Help

As part of your VITAL WorkLife Well Being Resources, you have access to unlimited telephone consultations and peer coaches. We can assist you in improving any dimension of your well being including physical, relational, emotional, professional, spiritual and legal/financial. Contact us at 877.731.3949 or through the VITAL WorkLife App.

Sources:

¹ http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/development-series/skill-builder/personal-effectiveness/goal-setting/types-of-goals/

² http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Benefits_of_Goal_Setting.html

³ http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2017/03/life-coaching-physicians-underused-physician-burnout-tool.html