Executing with Excellence: Tools for Goal Setting That Align With Your Introverted Nature
Create and execute introvert-friendly goals so you can
Rise to the occasion.
You’ve likely spent much of your life working toward the next big goal.
For healthcare professionals, those goals are often pre-defined, and the path is clear. Yes, you decided the end goal, but all the parts in the middle were primarily determined by the credentials you wished to achieve.
Once you’ve “arrived”, you may find yourself asking, “Now what?”
It’s time to create your own goals. And why is goal setting important?
Your formal education may have ended, but your desire for continued growth and learning hasn’t. Now is your chance to do it your way.
This time, you get to align your goals with your introverted nature, your values, and your priorities. It changes the experience of achieving your goals. Yes, you’ll have your eyes on the prize, but you’ll also increase the odds of enjoying yourself along the way.
Let’s dive in.
What makes a “Good” Goal for an Introvert?
You might be thinking, “What? Aren’t all goals good goals?”
Hear me out. A good goal isn’t just about hitting a target or getting to the final destination. It’s also about being intentional, knowing that your goal is grounded in your desires (not what you think others expect), and aligning with your natural strengths.
For introverts, a good goal is one that allows you to:
Respect Your Energy Level: There’s a pervasive push in our world to constantly chase the next best thing. But for you, it’s not about just doing more. It’s about doing more of what matters most to you.
As an introvert, your energy is your currency. Spend it wisely.
As you make your goals, feel into your body’s visceral reaction. Ask yourself, “Will this goal energize me or drain me?”
One of the most powerful goal-setting tips for introverts is to align your goals with activities that naturally energize you. This approach supports both short-term goal setting and long-term goal setting, and honors introverts’ crucial need for energy management.
What about the inevitable times when your goals require tasks that are draining? Make it a point to thoughtfully consider how you will build re-energizing activities into your goal setting. Don’t leave your energy to chance.
Play to Your Strengths: There are 2 schools of thought regarding personal growth. One focuses on striving to improve your weaknesses, while the other puts the limelight on enhancing the skills you’ve already got.
While both are important, I’m offering that a quality goal for introverts takes advantage of the things you’re naturally good at. As an introvert, you may be a sensitive and empathic listener, a thoughtful leader, or someone who shines in settings that let you focus and work independently.
Let your goals leverage these strengths.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Effective goal setting for introverts includes concentrating on a few high-quality goals that matter to you. You may have dozens of goals, but that doesn’t mean the best path forward is trying to accomplish them all at once.
Prioritize what matters most to you now. You’re more likely to accomplish your goals when you take advantage of your natural strength of deep focus rather than scattering your attention across too many goals.
Align with Your Values: What do you care about most? I’m going to ask that again because we often don’t realize how often our goals are dictated by others’ expectations. Don’t answer this question lightly. What do you care about most?
The best introvert-friendly goal-setting process begins with identifying what’s truly important to you.
Whether it’s patient care, personal growth, having a creative outlet, or changing the culture of medicine, your goals should reflect your core values. Aligning your goals with your values allows you to live more authentically and reduces your risk of burnout.
Tools for Goal Setting (The Introvert Way)
Now that you know how to identify a good goal, it’s time to put introvert-friendly tools for goal setting into action. Here are strategies designed with introverts in mind:
Create Your Sanctuary: Another of the best tools for goal setting as an introvert is giving yourself an inspiring, quiet space dedicated to reflection, ideation, and planning. Your surroundings can significantly impact your ability to focus, so don’t limit yourself with external distractions.
Tune into your senses and create (or visit) a space that can be your retreat for uninterrupted, clear goal setting. Give yourself the gift of dedicated time to imagine and design your future.
Protect Your Energy: Oh, have I already mentioned this one? It’s OK. It’s that important. Let the importance of energy management infuse every aspect of your planning. An advantage of goal setting is the ability to decide ahead of time. Rather than leaving it to chance, plan when you’ll incorporate white space and rest into your plans for achieving your goals.
You can stay focused and avoid burnout by proactively setting boundaries and being selective about how you’ll invest your time and energy.
Check-In Regularly: Goal setting isn’t a one-and-done event. We and the world around us are constantly evolving. Frequently checking in with yourself is essential for realistic goal setting and remaining flexible.
Make a habit of regularly reflecting on your progress. Ask yourself, “Am I still heading in the right direction? Are my goals still aligned with my values?” Check in with your body and notice if you feel tight and constricted or loose and expansive.
Reflection is vital to upholding your intentions and adjusting your goals as needed.
Embrace Your Own Pace: Despite what you may have been told, the goal-setting process doesn’t need to feel like a race. Focus on what feels good to you and respects your timeline.
Don’t rush to compare yourself to others. If you must compare, use your past self as a measuring stick to see how far you’ve come.
Remember that your unique journey is more than good enough.
Staying Motivated Without Burning Out
Achieving big goals (and all the little goals that get you there) requires dedication, persistence, and motivation. It also requires patience and flexibility.
There are ways to keep your momentum without burning out. Here’s how:
Celebrate Small Wins: You’ve accomplished so much already that it might feel like only the “big” accomplishments count. I want to challenge that thinking.
Personal growth requires constantly expanding the edges of your comfort zone. Just because you’re an expert in your field doesn’t mean you should expect yourself to immediately excel at everything you do.
Trying something new requires adopting a beginner’s mind. That means you should absolutely celebrate beginner wins. In weight lifting, these are known as “newbie gains”. They may not feel earth-shattering, but do yourself a favor and acknowledge yourself for the progress you’re making.
Avoid Overcommitting: We touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating. Another of the most important goal-setting tips is to avoid taking on too much at once.
Your life is already hectic. Don’t inadvertently make it unbearable. Keep your goals focused and manageable. Be honest with yourself and know your limits. Having the self-awareness to protect your well-being isn’t weak. It’s smart.
Give yourself every advantage to prevent burnout and stay on track toward achieving your long-term goals.
Reconnect with Your “Why”: Even when your high-quality goals are made from a place of joy and intention, there will be days that feel like a slog. You will never love every aspect of your journey. When motivation dips, reconnect with the purpose of goal setting in your life.
What’s the little spark that made you want to achieve the thing in the first place? How will accomplishing your goal improve your life?
Reconnecting with that underlying current of purpose can keep you moving forward.
Treat Yourself: It’s important to look back, acknowledge, and celebrate your wins. It’s also helpful to look forward. The anticipation of a reward can be just as pleasurable as reaching your goal.
Plan milestone perks along the way, especially when you’re working toward big goals. Doing so gives you something to be excited about when your energy drops or the finish line seems too far away.
Burnout shows up when you feel overworked, out of control, and misaligned with your values. Feeling unappreciated and unrecognized compounds the problem. This is true whether the forces are coming from an outside source or you have inadvertently become your own worst taskmaster.
Getting what you want doesn’t require a draconian approach. Setting high-quality goals that support and align with your introverted nature is essential for achieving success in a way that contributes to your well-being.
The tools for goal setting we’ve reviewed - like giving yourself a comfy, cozy space to dream, protecting your energy, and frequently checking in with yourself - will help you design goals that let you feel good about yourself rather than feeling driven to keep up with others’ expectations.
Let your approach to goals feel sustainable and energizing rather than coming from a sense that you need to be more. You can expand your comfort zone while also being gentle with your nervous system.
You get to define what living your biggest, boldest life looks like as an introvert. Know that I’ll be here, quietly (or not-so-quietly) cheering you on.
Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.