Using the Nursing Process to Create Goals for Your Business This Year

[JanineKelbach, RN]

How To Set Businesses Goals

Those who set goals in businesses are more successful. Setting goals is like creating a care plan for a patient. There is a checklist, actions behind their diagnosis, and when it is complete, patients are discharged. As a nurse entrepreneur, this guide will help you assess your business, make goals, and implement an action plan for optimal results.

STEP 1 Start With Intention

Goal setting with intention is essential. In fact, the British Journal of Health Psychology found that 91% people who planned their goal intending to lose weight by writing down, when and where they would exercise each week, ended up following through. That just means putting the when and where into setting a goal. When a person says, "I want to lose 10 pounds." It doesn't give any specifics. When that person says, "I want to lose 10 lbs by going to the gym at 10 am Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday." That adds intention on the goal. You can translate this into your business as well.

Getting ideas for goals is easy, breaking them down into actionable, intentional steps are the hard part. You have to look at the big picture. Goals can change through the implementation process, and that is okay. Last year, I met someone in my business, and they helped me make a pivot, and my goals changed. Yours may too, the more you network, the more you niche down into your business, you become clear on your goals.

STEP 2 Become Accountable

If we set goals, it's often hard to come back to them if they are too big. For example, I wanted to write a book. That is a giant idea to me because I have never written a book. I joined the Healthcare Marketing Network and started networking with other writers. They helped me take the next steps to book writing, like finding a publisher and an editor. When I would put the idea to the side because of other client work, I had friends in the group always checking in with me, keeping me accountable for the next steps in the writing process.

STEP 3 Stay Motivated & Know Your Why

Working on non-paying work is hard for me, and I imagine most people. When you have non paying work, you need to have motivation. Every project I do, I ask myself, "Which goal will this accomplish or help me take the next step forward?" For example, recently I had to redo my website because it didn't have a very clear homepage. I did this, with the help of my friends in the Healthcare Marketing Network, and It took action. Two hours later, I knew exactly why I had to redo it. I shared it on LinkedIn, and I had three new newsletter subscribers within the hour. That tells me, it needed to be done, and now my next step to gaining a client is there. Always know why you are doing a project, it should still align with your goal.

STEP 4 Goal Setting Process

Now that you have a background about what goes into accomplishing goals let's look at how to set goals that stick. It is a three-step process, and I offer a free worksheet on my website if you need more.

STEP 5 Assessment of your Business

First, look at your full picture. Ask yourself, where do you want to be next year. If you don't like massive goals, you can break them down into quarterly goals, monthly, or even weekly. I use a tool called the Passion Planner. It's a paper and pen planner that assists me with setting goals from yearly, to quarterly, monthly, weekly and even daily.

We're going to use a broad goal for an income goal in this scenario. Watch how the Assessment, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of the nursing plan works here.

STEP 6 Write Down Your Business Goals

"Make enough money to cover one day at the hospital."

STEP 7 Assess Your Goals

The first step of this goal is to ask yourself:

How much can you make? Think of a budget and where you want to be financially and make it attainable.

STEP 8 Write An Action Plan

Staying focused on the goal is why you have to create action and intentional steps. Evaluate them often to see if you need to change it up a little.

Think about how you're going to get that action done. "I will pitch ten clients a week."

Make specific steps daily that you're going to do to achieve your goal. 'I will find the clients through referrals, LinkedIn, and my network."

STEP 9 Implementation

Educate yourself by finding different resources on your business topic. Send some emails to people that are already doing what you're doing to see if you can get a mentor to help you along. Many of us who have started a business are willing to give our advice for free!

STEP 10 Evaluation

Evaluating your goals comes into play when you see the income rising in your business. Tweaking the goals in the evaluation phase may be needed many times.

Take a second after you make your business goals and breathe. Take it one step at a time; it's easy to get into burnout mode if you are not careful. Many entrepreneurs do this in the morning hours before they start their day, relax, meditate, journal or exercise can help in the self-care of the business owner. Good luck this new year in all you do, stay focused and you will succeed!

[hazelsamuel]

I am RN-BSN med/surg for past 17 years , thinking about starting CNA school in my town . I work 36 hours , 12 hours shifts , teaching is my passion , and I think I will be good at it .

Any thoughts , suggestions or advise will be greatly appreciated