Leader New Years Resolutions for 2025

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA, FAAN

We will soon be in 2025, a brand new year.  The most effective leaders establish a few personal and professional goals each year. This is a good practice because it forces us to stretch outside our comfort zone.  But most New Year’s goals are not achieved because the goal is not specific and lacks a plan.  There is good research to support the fact that either writing down goals or publicly announcing your intent are the first steps to achieving those goals.  While some of you may have a goal to return to school to complete an MSN or DNP, many leaders I have spoken to want to focus more on their well-being. They realize that they are working at an unsustainable pace. If you are running short of creative ideas, the following are five New Year’s resolution suggestions for nurse leaders:

1. Challenge yourself to establish a hard stop to your workday and stick to it.

Frontline nurse leaders struggle to set work-life boundaries, especially those new to their role. The problem has become even more challenging over the past four years. Many leaders have seen their spans of control grow as their staff is less experienced and requires more coaching. New managers often want staff to visibly see they are supporting them and tend to work long hours, including getting involved in direct care activities. Emails and texts from staff 24/7 are no longer that unusual. For 2025, set a time of day that you will leave your unit, announce it to your staff, and find an accountability partner.

2. Begin with the end in mind – schedule your vacations for the year in January. 

Start your year by scheduling vacation time right at the beginning. If you wait to “see how things are going,” you may find that you will never take the necessary time off. Yes, I know this lacks spontaneity, but planning will make it more likely that you will take that vacation with family and friends.

3. Identify one self-care activity that you will implement this year.

All of us need to be able to decompress from our roles successfully. Think about something that brings you joy and relaxation and build it into your schedule.

4.  Commit yourself to becoming more curious and a continuous learner.

It is often said that the best leaders are the best learners.  This is especially true for nurse leaders in a healthcare environment that is rapidly changing unexpectedly.  Challenging yourself to grow and learn is a professional and personal responsibility. If you see a new behavior with staff that concerns you – become curious and ask more questions about what is driving it. Outstanding leaders commit themselves to taking advantage of learning opportunities even when they may feel like they don’t have the time to do it. You will feel more energized when you learn new things.

5.  Find a mentor.

A good mentor can open doors to new learning and help you grow as a nurse leader. A mentor can provide career guidance and help you become more aware of your strengths and areas where you need development. Mentoring is an important career strategy. This is the year to look for that person.

In his book, When: The Scientific Secrets to Perfect Timing, Daniel Pink reminds us that time markers can serve as powerful new beginnings – ex. Birthday, New Year, First Day of the Month. The research indicates that we can build new habits more effectively by using these markers, so try this in 2025.

© emergingrnleader.com 2024

Two Brand New Workshops for Your Team in 2025

Building Bridges Not Walls: Leading Multigenerational Work Teams – Click Here for More Information   Building Bridges Not Walls

Nurse and Nurse Leader Work-Life Balance and Well-Being: Nursing Leadership Strategies for Success – Click Here for More Information WorkLife Balance and Wellbeing WS

Coming Soon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring Leading in the New World of Work to Your Organization.  Click on Flyer The New World of Work Workshop

Bring the Nurse Leader Coach Workshop to Your Facility Virtually or Onsite. Click Here for the Nurse Leader Coach WS Flyer