As a working physical, occupational, or speech therapist, you have set many goals in your life and achieved them. But now that you are working, and your job and home life are taking up much of your time, maybe you have been having trouble with goal setting. The routine tasks have taken over and sort of squeezed out any thoughts of reaching new goals.

If that is the case, then you might want to take a look at a few tips on goal setting from Heidi Grant Halvorson, a motivational psychologist.

Her first piece of advice is to be as clear and precise as possible about your goal. If you set a goal for improving a procedure for handling patients, don’t just state your goal as improving patient procedures,€ but state exactly what procedure you want to improve,  how you want to improve it and by how much.

Don’t wait to start working toward your goal, start now. The perfect time will never come. If getting in shape is your goal, decide exactly when and where you are going to move toward that goal.  Wednesday at 4 p.m., for example.

Monitor your progress. Keep tabs on how much you have accomplished and how much more you need to do so you can make adjustments if needed.

Realize that it is going to take sustained effort. You want to be confident about reaching your goal, but be ready to work hard to get there.

Also, concentrate on taking small moves toward your goal €” it’s not going to happen all at once. The idea is to do it little by little, because all of those little steps, if carried through persistently, add up.

Don’t let difficulties discourage you. Realize that it’s not going to be easy, that there will be setbacks. Think about perseverance, planning, and effort. You can help increase your willpower by doing something you don’t like to do every day. Begin with little things. Think about how you will handle problems when they crop up. In the beginning, it won’t be easy, but as you work at it, it will get better. But don’t bite off more than you can chew. Again, you’re not going to do it all at once.

If you’re a speech, occupational or physical therapist with an interest in traveling all over the country, contact Centra Healthcare Solutions. We have many short- and long-term assignments at rehab facilities all over the country. Send us your CV today!