Do you know for certain you want to be a CRNA? Are you committed to the CRNA journey? I know you are likely determined and highly motivated if you made it through nursing school. Today is all about truly making a commitment towards a rewarding career as a CRNA.
One of the most asked questions I get is, “how did you become a CRNA?” The answer involves a lot of moving parts and it involves taking one step at a time and following through. Here are a few tips to get you moving in the right direction.
Read: How to Become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Set goals and commit to be a CRNA
Setting a goal involves developing an plan of action to guide you towards your final prize. I personally love setting goals and “committing” to it. That is until life happens and it all falls apart. Once you’ve determined you are serious about becoming a CRNA, you need to build a fool proof plan that is attainable to get you there. The key is to be resilient no matter what arises in your world.
Don’t let your plan fall by the wayside the first time you have a difficult patient your critical care unit or every time someone laughs when you tell them your dream of becoming a CRNA. Here are some tips for setting effective goals:
– Be precise and set clear goals and deadlines of what you need to accomplish.
– Prioritize each goal according to importance. This will prevent feeling overwhelmed by working on one goal at once.
– Put pen to paper and write your goals down as a visual reminder. Checking them off will motivate you to take on the next goal.
– Break your goals down into small manageable chunks.
– Celebrate accomplishing your goal. Don’t get depressed about what you still need to accomplish. It will come together in time.
Be Persistent on the journey
Again no matter what, keep pushing forward towards your goal of becoming a CRNA. Persist through any obstacle until you reach your goal. This is how you get things checked off. This is how things get done. The pure satisfaction you will feel from that one accomplishment is so amazing.
Many people quit before they even start or just stop in the middle of their journey. Oftentimes, the reason for quitting is hardships, discomfort and fear of the uncertain. Those fears and doubts paralyze them into inactivity and move them farther away from their goals. Or maybe their motivation is not strong enough to get them to do the work.
Developing persistence is a master skill to success and becoming a CRNA. But in order to create the life you want and achieve the success you deserve, now is the time to develop this key skill and put it in your arsenal of weapons as you maneuver this journey.
Read: Stay Motivated on Your Journey With These Easy Steps
Dream your way to success
Let’s dream if you will. If you were offered a spot in a CRNA program and the struggles were all gone, what would you do with all your time? I bet you would be ecstatic- I know I was! Would you finally focus on your finances before starting school? Would your home life finally be strengthened? Would you be less stressed? Could you then focus on being the best person or nurse you could be?
The things you could do or focus on are endless and right at your fingertips, correct? So why not pick one goal and get that done. Then go to the next goal and check it off. Keep the momentum going. Your career aspirations will explode in the best way if you do. I promise! Because it did for me.
The bottom line
Commit to starting the process to become a CRNA by setting goals and then see it to the end. Also change your mindset and stay persistent. Think about it as persistence eventually wins the race. And always remember you are what you think. Make it a reality by working on the next step. Remember, you can be whatever you desire; you just need to aim for it and don’t let up. To get started today, make use of your Future CRNA Action Plan.
