![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FB-Quote-Goal-Wish-300x157.png\")
Did your New Year resolutions include any professional goals?<\/p>\nDid your New Year resolutions include any professional goals?<\/p>\n
No?<\/p>\n
Well it is never too late to spend time assessing where you are professionally and where you would like to be this time in 2027.\u00a0 So make an appointment with yourself, put it on your calendar and read on for some inspiration.<\/p>\n
A quote that I have used with patients and mentees over the years is by the author Antoine de Saint-Exupery: \u201cA goal without a plan is just a wish.\u201d\u00a0 As an OT, you set goals with your patients every day and know how important the goal-setting process is to success, so use the same approach for yourself.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s play with this scenario:\u00a0 You have been providing school -based OT for a number of years and you need a change.\u00a0 You worked with geriatric populations in fieldwork and believe that is would be a good fit for you.<\/p>\n
Evaluate the Goal<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0 Be honest with yourself about what you hope to achieve if you reach your goal.\u00a0 First, take some time to examine that goal.\u00a0 What do you think it will provide to you?\u00a0 Talk to OTs that practice in that setting.\u00a0 Ask if you can shadow someone for the day. Consider including the opinion of family, friends and co-workers as they will have a different perspective than you do.\u00a0 What does the job market look like?\u00a0 What settings are available?<\/p>\n Identify the Long and Short Term Steps<\/strong>:\u00a0 Changing populations and settings is a big undertaking.\u00a0 Lay out all the considerations that you need to factor in to move from Point A to Point B.\u00a0 Break the goal into short and long-term sub-goals.\u00a0 For each sub-goal, do what you would so with your patients:\u00a0 apply the SMART goal framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). Of course, your path may not be a straight line!\u00a0 For example, maybe your first move could be securing a position treating kids in a hospital-based setting.\u00a0 That employer would then have internal opportunities in geriatrics.<\/p>\n New Training and Certifications:\u00a0 <\/strong>Identify both the continuing education and new skills that will support your move to a new population.\u00a0 Are there courses and certifications that you need to add to your resume?\u00a0 Check out AOTA for content around different patient groups as well as available CEUs.\u00a0 Evaluate your skill set and make sure you address any new skills you will need for a new population.\u00a0 Is billing different?\u00a0 How will you have to change your documentation strategies?\u00a0 Will you have to use different therapeutic approaches with an older population?\u00a0 Will the caregivers you interact with have different expectations of OT?<\/p>\n Remember Self Care and Balance:<\/strong>\u00a0 Change, especially one as complicated as changing populations, takes a great deal of time and energy.\u00a0\u00a0 Be sure to pace the change so that you can also take care of yourself.\u00a0 Your one-year plan may need to be a two-year plan!\u00a0 You will still reach your goal but you will be healthier when you do.<\/p>\n Setting professional goals at the beginning of the year will set you up for success and greater satisfaction with your career.\u00a0 So schedule time today to brainstorm and plan where you will be in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Did your New Year resolutions include any professional goals? No? Well it is never too late to spend time assessing where you are professionally and where you would like to be this time in 2027.\u00a0 So make an appointment with yourself, put it on your calendar and read on for…<\/p>\n Read more<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FB-Quote-Goal-Wish.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7931,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7929\/revisions\/7931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}