I go back and forth on goal setting. Having clear goals is essential. It always makes me think of the line from Alice In Wonderland, where she meets the Cheshire Cat.
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.
Alice: I don’t much care where.
The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.
The part I have trouble with is deciding how to set them. Where to put them. How to check back in and stay on track.
Here is a place for you to start if you’ve never done this before. (As we get to the end of the year I start thinking about what I want to accomplish next year and what I’ve already accomplished this year)
SMART goals is one system for creating “good” goals
This is a framework I learned from Michael Hyatt, who used to be the publisher at Nelson publishing and now writes books on productivity. He’s excellent, but I doubt he created this system. He probably got it from somewhere else, but I got it from him. Mr. Hyatt talks about this system frequently.
Here’s the super short version of what it means.
Specific: Your goals should be very clear. Who will be involved? What will you need? What exactly are you going to accomplish?
Measurable: You must be able to measure your progress. How would you know when you’ve completed your goal or even if you’re making progress towards it?
Attainable: This is where you set up the steps you will take or outline the skills you will need to learn in order to attain this goal.
Realistic: Within this system, your goals should be something within your capacity to accomplish.
Timely: There has to be a deadline. A due date gets you moving. Nothing makes things happen like a due date.
Take some time to play with this idea. See if you can use this framework to create some goals for yourself and a map of how to get there.
If one of your goals is to pass an EOR or the PANCE then under the “what you will need” section add “Get a copy of The Final Step.” Here’s the link if you want to knock that one off right now. www.physicianassistantexamreview.com/thefinalstep
Brian
