5 Reasons Physicians Don't Reach Their Career Goals

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​We are less than 2 weeks away from entering the final quarter of the year. The year is flying by!

How are your career goals coming along for 2021?

If you just asked the question, "What career goals?" or had to think more than 30 seconds to remember what your goals were for this year, this article is for you.

Physician life is often a busy life and as a result, purposeful career advancement may get little to none of your attention.  And if you are like many physicians I speak with, you may have set your career on autopilot or deferred the steering of your career to your leadership or someone else.

Here are 5 common reasons that physicians don't reach their desired career goals:

1. They have vague career goals or none at all - It's hard to reach goals that you haven't set. If you're not clear on what you want from your career, you're less likely to set meaningful goals. In some organizations, there is an annual goal-setting milestone, but often there is no clear process in place to help you create goals designed to truly advance your career. Take some time to get clear on where you want to be in the next 3-5 years. And it's okay if you don't know. Simply start with what you don't want and then decide what it is you do want instead.
   
   
2. They have goals, but they're not written down - Research shows that you're greater than 40% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down. The process of writing down your goals helps you to create a clearer, more vivid picture in your mind of your desired result. When you can see it, you start to believe it and that belief will drive your motivation to achieve your goals.
   
   
3. Their goals don't stay top of mind - The old saying "out of sight, out of mind" is applicable here. With so many things competing for your attention, working on your career goals tends to fall to the bottom of the to-do list because there's no urgency around it (much like self-care). Keeping a bulleted list of your top career goals visible in a place where you can see them on a regular basis will remind you of what matters to you. Print it out and post it in your office, your home, your planner, your bathroom mirror, etc. Or if you're more digitally inclined, scan your written list into your device and set it as wallpaper, a screensaver or as a recurring event on your calendar. Bonus points for including the reason why you want to achieve these goals with your bulleted list. 
   
   
4. They don't schedule dedicated time to work on their goals - With the busyness of a medical career, you will typically use your time to deal with the urgencies of personal and professional life with little to no time left to focus on the important things. Breaking your goals down into bite-sized activities will help you to carve out 10-15 minutes a day to make progress on your goals. Focus on the one next step you need to take to move it forward. Over time, those 10-15 minutes add up to incremental progress forward towards your desired results.
   
   
5. They don't evaluate progress made on their goals throughout the year - If you set goals at the start of the year, but wait until the end of the year to see if they've been met, you've lost an incredible opportunity to reach your goals. Plan for mini check-ins throughout the year to reassess where you are. Ask yourself if you're on track to get to where you want to be? If yes, sustain that momentum by taking stock of what's helped you to make progress. If no, ask yourself if it's time to make adjustments to get back on track or if you may need support to help you accelerate your progress. Checking in on your goals progress throughout the year increases the odds of successfully reaching your goals.

I'd like to remind you that you own your career. You earned your medical degree and you get to decide how you'd like to leverage it to support yourself and your family and make the impact that you want to have.

If you haven't set career goals for the year, it's not too late. You don't need to wait until the new year. Make a commitment to be more intentional about your career and the direction you want to take it. Take action by scheduling 30 minutes to sit down and write down at least 1 goal you'd like to achieve by the end of the year.

Share your goal in the comments below.