Importance of Setting Goals and How to Start

“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 Watley¹ 

In the rapidly shifting and challenging 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. The pandemic has added more stress and strain, and maintaining well being and achieving work/life balance has never been so turbulent. When facing so many unknowns and challenges, every day dilemmas can be overwhelming. One strategy that may assist is to develop and focus on short and long term goals for your professional and personal life.

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

1. Goals can help you stay focused and motivated.
2. Creating goals requires self-reflection important to taking charge of one’s life.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Goal setting can assist you in identifying areas within your scope of control to improve your well being

This is not to over simplify the pathway to work and life fulfillment. It is simply one recommended strategy for your consideration.

Resources for Setting & Achieving Your Goals

Goal setting is not easy for everyone. 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 dilemmas 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

Peer coaching from VITAL WorkLife is delivered virtually to allow physicians and providers to work with coaches in geographies distant enough where they're not likely to encounter each other on a regular basis. During intake, 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 – Connecting with peers and getting emotional support from someone who can identify with your perspective can be a significant benefit to clinicians, especially now with the unique challenges accompanying each new wave of the pandemic.
• 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 they will also hold you accountable at every step.

We Can Help

As part of your Well Being Resources through VITAL WorkLife, you have access to consultations with a peer coaches and other consultants to help guide you through any challenges you may be facing. We are here to assist you in improving any dimension of your overall well being including physical, relational, emotional, professional, spiritual and legal/financial. To speak with a consultant or coach give us a call at 877.731.3949 or access through your VITAL WorkLife App.

Not only does your VITAL WorkLife App provide you quick access to your Well Being Resources, it also houses aGoals feature to help keep you on track!

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