Do you know what you want?
Really?
Or do you know what you don’t want?
For the last 2 years I have worked nearly every weekend. I have 2 young children & it suited me while I didn’t want to use daycare facilities when my youngest child was a baby.
I wanted to work without putting my baby in childcare. I wanted to be at home with my children.
Last August, I decided I wanted a holiday. A real holiday. A holiday where we went away somewhere, preferably near the beach! With 2 young children and 3+ years of minimal sleep, a husband who worked away for more than half of those 3+ years, I wanted time off! I also wanted to get out of the house and spend more time with adults!
I set a financial goal for the year, arranged childcare for the kids, put my name out there and within 1 day was fully booked until Christmas… On a side note, a well written ad addressing a veterinary owners fears about getting a locum vet will get you loads of work!
I worked at many different clinics from anywhere to 1 day, 2 weeks and a consistent day every week.
Originally, I just wanted work. The more I worked, the more I experienced, the more I remembered specifically what I liked and disliked about the veterinary profession and veterinary practice. Working just weekends were different!
My boundaries got pushed & my standards got tested. I began to realise what I didn’t want in a locum position or a veterinary practice.
So the question became, what DID I WANT?
What hours, what days, what facilities, what location, what type of practice and type of clients.
When did you last think about what you wanted from your veterinary career and veterinary practice?
I would like you to grab a piece of paper, divide it into 2 and write I DON’T WANT and I WANT on either side.
Fill both sides for the hours you work, the clients you see, the practice facilities, the practice itself, procedures & everything about veterinary practice and your veterinary career.
On another piece of paper, repeat the process for the rest of your life -relationships, finances, holidays, family, health, etc.
If you are not sure, just start with what you don’t like in the ‘I Don’t Want’ column. Put it all on there – everything. It doesn’t have to make sense or be realistic. You may be surprised what comes out.
Now write what you do want. Not sure? Look at your ‘i don’t want’ and then flip them. For eg – I don’t want to be rushed -> I want to take time to work cases up. I don’t want to be on call -> I want to have access to an after hours facility.
Once you have completed the list, what does you “I want” look like?
How many of them are you fulfilling in your current job?
If you are working at a practice that fills up most of your ‘I don’t want’ column then it can explain why you may be frustrated, cranky, unhappy and unfulfilled.
Either negotiate better terms with your current employer or maybe it’s time to start looking around for a new job that ticks a majority of those ‘I want’ boxes.
While you are doing what you don’t want, you will never be truly satisfied where you are. You will never reach your full potential or high performance.
I know what I want in terms of objectives for my business and veterinary career and even though I may not have all of them yet, I am working towards getting them because I know what I am aiming for.
