In preparing nursing students for their first nursing core semester, I began with this quote at transition orientation: “A goal without a plan is just a wish” Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Many of the students begin the core nursing courses with the goal of becoming a nurse without a realistic plan to be successful in the program.
It’s only the beginning.
Within the first few weeks, they are faced with:
* the importance of patient safety
* application/analysis style and select all that apply questions,
* clinical rotations, math for medications,
* skills labs,
* application of critical thinking, and
* the reality that all of the answers are correct, but only one is a priority.
Goals Need a Plan
So it is with your goals; you need to have a plan for your goals AND put the plan into action in order for it to be accomplished. There are times that the plan may need to be adjusted, but don’t get discouraged, make the necessary adjustments and keep moving forward. As a mentor, friend, published author, speaker, and nurse faculty, I can provide guidance to reach a goal so that it doesn’t continue to be a wish, but it is up to the individual to put the plan into action.
- What goals do you currently have and need to establish a specific plan to help you see the goal fulfilled?
- Is there anything that is keeping you from taking a leap of faith? If so, what is it and how can your perspective be changed?
- What resources do you have available to you and/or need?
- Identify action steps that you can take within the next 24 hours, week, and month. Be specific and accountable to these action steps. You may need to get an accountability partner to help you stay focused and engaged in taking the action steps.
“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” (James 2:17 Message Bible)
“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17 NLT)
As you can see, we have to put action to work and not live on a wish or useless words.