Goal Setting for 2023

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

I had a conversation with a frontline nurse leader recently that went like this:

I have been fighting fires continuously over the past three years. I am burned out and exhausted, but I don’t know how to stop myself. I have spent far more time with my work family than my kids or husband. I can’t sustain this pace and want off this treadmill. I love my profession but increasingly don’t like it much. How can I get back to being me?

This week, we will celebrate the end of 2022 and the beginning of a new year. Many nurse leaders can easily relate to the story above. This is an excellent time to reflect on what went well with our leadership in 2022 and what things we may need to change because they no longer work for us.  In his book When Daniel Pink describes the beginning of a new year as a powerful temporal landmark.  It is an opportunity to look back over the past and then ask ourselves what we want to change or accomplish moving forward.

When I talk with nurse managers about things they would like to change in their work, they talk about the following:

I want to set better boundaries for myself and when I go home to be at home and not on the phone.

I want to feel less guilty about how things are in nursing and accept what I cannot change.

I want to feel more hopeful about the future and less pessimistic about what lies ahead.

I want to return to school and do my DNP – I need to do something for myself.

I want to be able to spend more time coaching my staff – that is where I get my joy.

I want to exercise more and eat less – I am so stressed that I have neglected my health.

I want to feel less angry at some of my younger staff who don’t have my work ethic.

I want to get to know other nurse leaders and socialize more.

I want to be a lot more Yoda on my unit and a lot less Superman – and to be okay with it.

I want to learn to say no to more responsibilities or requests for my time.

I want to stop feeling sorry for myself and empower myself to make changes.

You probably can relate to at least one of these goals. Experts on goal setting suggest that you don’t set too many goals but instead choose one or two that would significantly impact your life. After thinking about your goals – then ask yourself – what would need to be true that is not true today to make it happen. This question can help break goals down into smaller steps. It can help to have an accountability partner that you share your goals and who checks in with you to ensure you stay on track.

This could be a good exercise for nursing leadership teams starting the new year. When you publicly declare a goal – you are far more likely to achieve it.  2023 can be a better year for all of us but not unless we intentionally decide what we want to change in our lives and work.