Healthcare Traveler - January, 2012

Achieving your goals in 2012

January is here, which makes this an excellent time to ref lect on the past year and begin thinking about your goals for the remainder of 2012. Start with a few questions. What went well for you in 2011? What would you have done differently, if you could turn back the clock? What did you experience, personally or professionally, during 2011 that you could not have imagined at the outset of the year?

Considering these questions is a good place to start as you plan for a successful new year. As a traveling healthcare professional, you have tremendous flexibility when it comes to career goals. Where would you like to work in 2012? If there is some part of the country that you’ve always wanted to see, but have not had an opportunity to visit, plant that seed with your recruiters now and let them know that you have a goal to work in a desired location, whether it’s Alaska, New York, or southern Florida.

Planning ahead may include orchestrating assignments to coincide with important family or social events. Is your sister getting married in Chicago next summer? Put the wheels in motion now to work there for a couple of months if you’d like to help out with the wedding. Is a college reunion coming up? Book yourself to work close by and save your personal travel budget for other trips.

Professional development shouldn’t be overlooked when considering annual goals. If you are considering getting a specialty certification, or upgrading your skills, maybe 2012 is the year to do it. Travelers who’ve earned credentials and certifications beyond what is required to practice at a position garner high demand and earn premium wages for having additional knowledge and skills.

If financial goals are on the agenda for 2012, get specific about exactly what you want to achieve. Maybe you have a goal to pay off your credit card debt by the end of the year. In that case, you might start by making a list of everything you owe so that you have a clear picture of where you are now. Perhaps your goal is simply to work more and earn more money in the coming year. If that’s your story, talk to recruiters now so that you move efficiently from assignment to assignment throughout the year.

If you are considering getting a specialty certification, or upgrading your skills, maybe 2012 is the year to do it.

Another goal to consider is keeping yourself organized as a traveler. If you’ve been putting off getting your credentials in electronic format, setting up online banking, finding the perfect house sitter, or even something as simple as getting new luggage and other accessories to make travel more manageable, perhaps it’s time to check these items off your to-do list so you can move on to other things.

As you think about what you’d like to accomplish in 2012, consider turning your attention to just two or three primary goals, perhaps in a couple of different areas of your life. I find that when I start the year with a list of goals that’s unrealistically long, I lose focus when life and work get too busy and usually end up not achieving nearly as much as I’d hoped.

Once you’ve settled on what your goals for 2012 will be, write them down and be very specific. Instead of inscribing: Earn more money, be precise: Increase my income by 15 percent over 2011. Or, instead of stating: Upgrade skills as a goal, be precise: Attend two continuing education workshops in 2012.

Achieving goals requires more than writing them down and hoping for the best. You need a plan. If you have a personal goal, for example, to drop 15 pounds before your assignment in San Diego starts in June, your plan might include signing up with Weight Watchers, committing to hit the gym four days a week, and ridding the kitchen cabinets of junk food. Here, again, it helps to be as focused as possible.

If you’re serious about achieving any goal — professional or personal — you’ll need a way to remain accountable. That might mean having a “goal buddy,” or even hiring a personal coach, to help keep you focused and motivated. Posting your list of goals where you’ll see them frequently or telling a close friend, or family member what your goals are for 2012 can also be helpful.

Oh behalf of NATHO, I’d like to wish you a safe, healthy, and prosperous new year. We are all so fortunate to work in healthcare, a field that is always interesting and dynamic, not to mention one of the few that continue to grow in spite of the current struggles created by a sluggish economy.

Let’s continue to support one another, in both our professional success and endeavors to provide high-quality patient care, each and every day.

Mark Stagen is the founder and president of the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (info@natho.org).

PDF Version