New Year’s resolutions are an exciting and tricky thing. For most people, nurses and techs included, they use it as a way to reset a certain part of their life. You might be going into the year thinking “New Year, New Me”, but I personally never liked the phrase. The reason I have such a strong dislike for it is because I wonder why would you want to change who you are? Instead of changing who you are, why not find new things to better who you already are? Here is a list of four ways to make your year a great year without forcing you to change who you are.
1) Set goals
This is a great way to make an impact on your year. Find goals you want to accomplish for your career, health, finances, or family. The best way to execute goals is to make a well laid out plan on how you would like to accomplish those goals.
For example: A lot of nurses and techs use January as a time to start their travel assignment voyage, but a lot of people don’t have a clear goal on what they want to get out of traveling. First you need to find the reason you want to travel and make a list of 5-10 places you would like to travel. Look at a budget to find out what you would need to take home to make sure it’s worthwhile, and finally talk to recruiters and see what options are out there. Ask them questions and find what would be a great fit for you, because your recruiter will be there every step of the way to help you accomplish your goals.
2) Pick up a new license or certification
Are you looking for ways to advance your career, or is there a place that you would love to go on a future assignment? Why not apply for a state license to a place you’ve never been and try something new. If you’re looking for ideas on where to go, check out this blog about finding an assignment based on your interests.
When it comes to certifications, it will always be a wise decision to get them to gain experience and knowledge in your field, and most of the time your company will reimburse you for taking the classes. There are even classes that are absolutely free online, like for the NIH Stroke Scale.
3) Try a new hobby
There is so much out there worth exploring and trying regardless if you’re on a travel assignment or at home. By branching out, you might end up finding something you can’t live without. A couple years ago I decided to audition for a show, and now I can’t stop. Acting has become a regular part of my life. A great place to start is by asking your friends and family what hobbies/activities they enjoy. Even talk to your fellow nurses and techs since they work the same hours with you and can share how they spend their free time.
4) Save money
We all know why saving money is important, because things can always come up in our lives where we might need to rely on that money to help out. That being said, I’m talking about saving money for you. As a nurse or tech, you work very hard and you deserve to treat yourself once in a while. Set aside money from every paycheck while on an assignment this year and let it keep building up, and at the end of the year give yourself a great vacation that you deserve. For example, nurses and techs on average take three assignments per year and if you put $20 from each of your paychecks into a savings account, you’d have $780 to spend however you wish at the end of the year.
I just showed you four ways to make your year great, but there are a variety of other ways to do that as well. I hope this gives you an idea of where to start. At the end of the day you don’t need to focus on ways to change who you are, but instead focus on things that can make you a better version of yourself. What are some things you want to do for yourself this year? Share in the comments section below.
Marcus Benzel is a Recruiter for the Aureus Medical Social Media Recruitment Team