Strategies for Setting Achievable Yearly Goals as a Therapist
- alysejanelle
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
DO:
Decide what areas you would like to grow in. Sometimes we can be overzealous and focus on too many areas of clinical growth. Especially those who are new therapists. I love my new therapist and supervisees. They have so much enthusiasm but can overwhelm themselves with wanting to learn too much at a time without diving deep into developing and understanding skills. As helping professionals, we can be very eager to learn and want to do everything to help clients. While that is admirable, competence is ethical, and competence takes intentionality.
Develop SMART goals. This will allow you to create a realistic timeline to support your goals to keep yourself accountable.
Have an accountability partner. Accomplishing goals can be challenging when life takes over and we are no longer in the excitement of the dream and idea phase. Having a coworker/peer, supervisor, or consultant to help keep you accountable is a very valuable asset.
Give yourself TIME. Allow yourself time to process and understand information.
Give yourself GRACE. Grace is an undervalued word, especially in our profession, where we put out so much. We need grace to allow ourselves to thrive.
DO NOT:
Set too many goals per month. This can be overwhelming and not allow a clinician to dive deep into understanding what they are attempting to learn.
Loose focus on why the goals were set. It is easy to lose motivation and drive once the excitement has left. Reviewing the goals and why can be very motivational and driven.
Get lost in perfectionism. When learning a new skill it can be so easy to want to master the skill right away. Being competent is definitely important, and that takes time. Letting go of perfectionism while learning is a must and taking hold of a learning mindset.
Compare yourself. Comparing has its place and it is not in the place of learning new skills and growing. Comparison can hinder the growth process.
Undervalue your progress. This aligns closely with perfectionism and comparison. Undervaluing the progress you've made and how your process is unfolding hinders your confidence.
Goals are a wonderful tool to use when you are on a journey of learning and growing as a clinician AND using them correctly is also very important. Set goals MINDFULLY and REALISTICALLY!
At Flourish Consulting & Supervision, I love supporting therapist on their growth journey. Let me support you as you Flourish!
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