It is all too easy to get stuck in a rut and stay in survival mode during a busy school year. The tyranny of the urgent is a daily reality for most as the pressing urgent demands of each day keep one from doing what is most important both personally and professionally.

Am I the only one that feels like life can be a perpetual “whack a mole?” As soon as I get something done another problem or crisis pops up and requires my time and attention.

Now that winter break is upon you, use this time to slow down, reflect, and reboot so you can make a difference by being an instrument to bring needed change.

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Are You Feeling Stuck?

As I look back over the past year, I have been blessed. I have been able to share my work across the country, encourage others with my weekly blog, and just finished the 2nd ed. of my student text Think Like a Nurse.

But in the midst of all my endeavors, I have not been able to stay focused on one of my priorities; creating new clinical reasoning case studies so that educators can bring clinical realities to their classroom to strengthen student learning.

Though I can’t change the past. I can learn from it! Therefore, I have since determined to make creating case studies a priority, and have already created four topics I will soon be posting with many more yet to come!

What about you? What is a priority that you may not be giving full attention to because of the busyness of other things? Now is the time to reflect and reboot!

I want to share principles developed by Michael Hyatt. These principles will help any educator get unstuck and start the new year with a fresh focus and resolve to do things differently to bring needed change in 2016 to your program!

Principle #1: The lies you believe are the only thing holding you back

This lesson is powerfully demonstrated in the life of an elephant in captivity. While an infant, trainers put a rope around its leg with a stake that it is unable to shake loose from. The elephant learns at an early age that it is unable to move once this rope is around its leg.

But as an adult elephant it has more than enough strength to pull this stake out of the ground and be free. But this limiting belief holds the adult elephant back and it remains attached to the rope and is easily controlled though it is the largest land animal on earth!

This is a powerful metaphor for every nurse educator to consider. What are those lies or limiting beliefs that keep you from bringing needed change to your content or program? Do you believe that things can never change?

If so, you have fallen into the trap of a false belief that will keep you in a state of inactivity and a sense of being perpetually stuck. This is a painful place to be. I want to encourage you to replace any limiting or false beliefs with a LIBERATING TRUTH instead.

For example a liberating truth would state the opposite. Change and even transformation is possible and attainable in my class or clinical!

Embrace this liberating truth and you will be taking that needed first step to bring a needed change ASAP!

Principle #2: You have more power to change than you realize

As nurses, it is all too easy to accept the powerlessness that we feel in our profession. As we look at middle and upper management in the institutions, we often accept the status quo and do not use our voice and our influence to bring needed change.

One person can make a difference! Look at the example of Mother Teresa and how she literally transformed a country of 1 billion people with the power of her lived example of love.

Florence Nightingale brought needed change to the nursing profession that was corrupt and even immoral.

Patricia Benner is a current example of one nurse educator who also utilized her God given talents to impact the nursing profession today and as a result has left a lasting legacy.

Never underestimate the power of your voice and lived example to bring needed change wherever you are practicing.

Principle #3: Write down your goals to bring lasting change

There is a part of me that does not want to write down my goals for the new year. I rationalize that if I don’t write it down, I do not have to feel like a failure when I do not meet my written expectations.

This is the same reason many hesitate to write down New Years resolutions and most fail to see their resolutions lived out through the new year.

But it has been shown that those who write down their goals and review them regularly are much more likely to meet them. Apply this principle to bring needed change to your content.

Use Principles of Nursing Process!

Patient goals/outcomes using nursing process are taught to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Realistic
• Time limited

Use this same process for writing out goals for transforming your content next semester. Don’t simply state as a goal, “I will use more active learning in my classroom”, but instead state, “I will use a case study or group learning activity that situates clinical realities for 15-30″ of every classroom lecture.”

The beauty of writing down your goal in this manner is that you will have no doubt whether it was met or not. Every lecture may not be realistic for some. Then rewrite the goal so it not only stretches you, but is able to be consistently attained!

Fight cynicism!

Cynicism is something that all of us struggle with from time to time. The lie that fuels it…this (person/institution) will never change.

The disappointment and frustration that many experience in nursing education from stress and incivility can lead to anger, sadness, depression and ultimately cynicism that will completely neutralize your ability to accomplish anything of significance.

Replace cynicism with optimism that hopes for a better future. Be diligent and persistent to see change realized. Let this change begin in you first, before you decide to choose anything else around you.

Today is a new day!

Embrace the truth that your past failures personally or professionally does not need to limit or impact your present and future.

Today is a gift of a new day and a blank canvas waiting for you to paint something beautiful upon it.

Are you living and experiencing the fullness that life was meant to be and resisting the downward pull of cynicism?

Remember that your identity, value, and self worth is not dependent upon your performance, your accomplishments, or even your student reviews!

Your value and worth is determined by God who chose to reveal Himself through the incarnation that represents the essence of the Christmas season, Immanuel…God with us (Mathew 1:23).

It is my hope and prayer that you would know and experience this reality to bring both personal and spiritual transformation and empower you to resist cynicism, passivity and choose to live with purpose and passion and make a difference in all that you do!

What do you think?
What liberating truths or goals will you embrace that will bring needed change in 2016??
Comment below and let the conversation begin!