2016 was much like an eye blink it came and went so quickly and I am thankful I have this ongoing blog to capture my perspectives, indeed grateful for so many aspects of my life and nursing practice.  Yes my every day job is a manager position but the template of my practice continues to be one of a registered nurse.  This fall into winter period was celebratory and perhaps some degree of wistfulness, as I witness my nephew transforming from layperson to a nurse.  His method of speaking, his thinking patterns are altering, along with balancing academic work and living away from home. His first semester was a success completing his final exams, passing his clinical lab and now he is back in his residence like so many developing professionals to start semester 2.

I have never been a proponent of New Years Resolutions the timing to change is an individual one and when I determine changes are needed, the best approach has been to follow a clear and precise process. The ability to change starts with recognizing there is a gap, dissatisfaction, discomfort, and/or by acknowledging a vision, inspiration, perhaps in a very literal sense a sirensong that invites you to transform where you are to a new place.  A change plan requires some work to be done before, during and after.   Note you need to literally build space to make a change whether it’s time, environment, emotion, etc.

A key step is to declutter my immediate area where I will reflect on exactly what I am going to change.  I find it therapeutic to collect, recycle, reassign, and discard what is no longer needed i.e. clothes, physical items, attitudes, bias, people, regrets, doubts.  I use specific items such as a notebook strictly for reflections, a good quality pen, and on the different pages list headings that frame the process used (allowing that at different times, different changes, the requirements can change).  Handwriting versus keyboarding it’s a matter of preference though my wise self emerges more readily when a pen moves across a page of paper.

1. List of gratitudes whether people, abilities, places, blessings, provides an exercise to be thankful indeed be mindful of what my life is right now.  It’s more formal when written but it works equally well even mentally listing my gratitudes upon waking up or before sleeping.
2. When I identify what needs to be changed I draft a chart that has headings for 90 days, 180 days, 360 days, 3 years,  7 years, and my changes fit into domains that I identify as priorities:  self, family, friends, professional, community, fun, finance, and if the pen is not moving on the page….
3. I list 3 headings Purpose Practice & Passion and allow a veritable free form of expression to flow down the columns.
4. A highlighter pen (consider multiple pens) as I review what is written it helps to highlight values, concerns, strengths, needs, assign a different colour for each variable.
5. The wise self will emerge to guide the next step–identify the change needed, priority one, and/or reveal what is really bothering you?

Wise self? Your inner voice the real you, some of you may already be very connected to your voice of creativity, you may know of it as self-actualized.  That is where you may pause and consider that this aspect of your life requires support from a physical and emotional frame of mind that will optimize your mindset to be transformed, to make a leap, and appreciate it takes effort, sweat equity, engagement whatever road you need to access– to move from where you are now to a new sense of reality.  Still with me….

stay tuned for the next step ….this post will likely keep you occupied for a bit.  Namaste.

Categories: Uncategorized

Paula M

Registered Nurse Storyteller, Healer, Scribe, Transformational Leader