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While it’s true that you can set and amend goals for yourself at any point of the year, a good starting point is the beginning of any new year. A fresh calendar date really creates that placebo of a new start, and you want to get yourself prepared!
In order to really get the most out of your job, whether you’re a nurse, pharmacist, or GP, you need to set goals for yourself to work towards throughout your career. Goal setting is a great way to become a master of your profession, and achieve a great sense of personal achievement. You don’t need to wait around for promotions or pay rises to be satisfied with your job performance (although they’re always welcome!) Setting specific goals to work towards will allow you to really progress your career. So, how is it done?
Before setting any new goals, the first thing you should do is take a look at what you’ve achieved over the past year. What tasks did you complete? What new skills did you learn? Did you come across any challenges? What did you do to overcome them?
It’s important to recognise your achievements and by doing this you can set yourself up for the coming months. Were there any targets you missed this year? Training courses you are yet to complete? Figure out a realistic timeline for these tasks and assess how you can fit them into your plan.
While you should always set realistic and achievable goals, that doesn’t mean they should be easy. It’s important to challenge yourself in a healthy way. Think about what you achieved previously and figure out if you can stretch these and build on them.
Pushing yourself doesn’t mean working to breaking point. If you’re pushing yourself to the limit on multiple tasks all at once this will ultimately lead to burnout! Evaluate yourself and your goals and see what areas will require more effort than others. In some areas, maybe your goal is to just maintain the same level of consistency that you’ve achieved previously, while in others it may be to improve in some scope. Take a look at your reasoning behind each goal and then figure out how best to implement changes to achieve them.
Something we’ve spoken about previously on our blog is the importance of SMART goals. This is a metric used to evaluate your goals and make sure they’re within reach. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
When setting goals for yourself, use this tool to give yourself the best chance of achieving your goals. Ask yourself, ‘Are they specific enough?’. Don’t just say ‘improve my nursing skills’, actively seek out courses and set a timeframe in which you’ll complete them.
Measurable, attainable, and relevant goals are ones that you can track in some way. This could be through a checklist once they’re complete, or by using actual metrics and statistics. Consider the timeframes you’re giving yourself to complete them and make sure that it’s possible to get them done within this time. Ask yourself if the goals you're setting are going to help you progress in your career and in what way.
Finally, set timely goals for yourself. Give yourself deadlines and stick to them. This will help you to avoid getting sidetracked and becoming disappointed in yourself if you don’t achieve them by year’s end.
Always leave some time aside to track your progress and review your goals. It’s important to be flexible with yourself and re-assess if things aren’t on schedule. Sometimes life throws curve balls that get in the way and disrupt our plans.
If you need to make some adjustments to your timeline, that’s okay! What’s important is that you understand what external factors are causing you to slip away from deadlines and see how best you can rectify these. It doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goals! Having a bit of flexibility and leeway with your schedule and your goals will allow you to achieve what is best for you over the year.
When setting your goals for the year, remember to breathe and be kind to yourself. By following the steps above you will be able to manage your expectations on what goals are achievable and what aren’t. However, do remember that you may not achieve all of your goals - and that’s okay! Goals should be challenging and aspirational, and as long as you’re using them to make progress in your career, that’s what is important. The work you put in this year will always stand to you, no matter how big or small your achievement is!
If finding a new job is one of your goals for the new year, you’re in luck. At Clarity Recruitment, we have hundreds of new pharmacist roles, nursing roles, and GP roles, uploaded daily! All you need to do is upload one CV and we’ll do the hard work for you.
Not sure what you’re looking for? Get in touch with us today and we’ll help find you a match!
