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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Resolve to Move Forward
By Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR
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Welcome to 2010! With the New Year come new resolutions, the ritual of setting goals for the year that we intend to achieve (without admitting that we are rarely successful).
I once listed all the good things I did over the past year and then turned them into a resolution form and backdated them. That was a good feeling.
~ Robert Fulghum
What will your resolution be this year? Perhaps you want to lose that extra 15 pounds, or spend more quality time with your kids, or finally move out of mom and dad’s house. Whatever you want to achieve, consider adding a resolution regarding your career in veterinary medicine. (Yes, you can have more than one resolution, and that might increase your ratio of success!)
Begin by taking an honest look at where you are now. Are you simply punching a clock at the practice, waiting for your next day off, and hoping to make it ‘til payday? Or are you on a path that is leading you somewhere, to a new credential, a new set of skills, a new position in this practice or another place to challenge your new skills and knowledge? Where do you want to be in a year, five years, ten years? Have you ever looked that far ahead into the future? Perhaps you have a foggy idea of where you want to be, but you just haven’t taken the time to really bring it into focus.
This is the year to do it. We’re starting a new decade, a perfect time to solidify your goals. First you must define them. Next you must determine what steps you need to take to get to your ultimate goal. The chasm between now and then may seem too large to cross, without a bridge at least. So brainstorm what planks you need to lay down to bridge the gap. Does it require going back to school? Attending specific CE? Talking with your manager or practice owner about a new position? Obtaining new skills or knowledge to get you there? Relocating to work at the type of practice you desire? Learning more about compassion fatigue to keep you dedicated to this career path in general?
Look at the steps you’ve written down, and attempt to lay down some loose deadlines for each step. These can be modified as you see the future path come into focus, but at least you have set a date in your mind that you can work towards. If you leave your future open-ended, you will ultimately end up somewhere, but it may be far away from where you wanted to be.
It’s time to define your future…where will you be in 2020?
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