CHAPTER 9: SET PRIORITIES AND ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Leadership Lesson #9 is to set priorities and enjoy the journey. We should spend our time on what is most important to us. We all have some control over our life priorities, yet we often feel that too much of our time and energy is directed toward meeting the priorities of others. When that is the case, life becomes a stressful series of tasks to do and deadlines to meet, and we forget to appreciate the successes and joy encountered on the journey itself.

When people focus solely on the destination and not the journey, they put off what really matters in pursuit of things they want to achieve, and they tell themselves that they'll worry about those things once they've reached their destination (Noé, n.d.). Few of us have already accomplished everything in life that we want to. In fact, the truth is: "No matter how much you achieve, accomplish, and acquire in life ... there is always something more to be had. You'll never 'reach' your final destination—at least not in this life!" (para. 3). The key is finding the right balance and discovering a mind-set that allows us to pursue big things without sacrificing the "little things" that make life worth living (para. 6).

One of my favorite instructors in my doctoral program surprised me on the first day of classes by reminding us that the world didn't begin and end with coming back to school and earning an advanced degree. He repeatedly told us to eat more hot fudge sundaes, have more picnics, eat more potato salad, and take more walks in the park. He also said to make sure we slow down enough to enjoy the journey. Sometimes we are so busy racing from one event to another, or flying from one emotion to another, that we just stop being present.

I've often thought about his advice, and I think he was right. Slowing down enough to appreciate life's great moments is an ongoing challenge. Having a life filled with new opportunities for learning and growing, though, is part of what makes the journey worthwhile to me. I love new challenges and new opportunities to contribute to the world in some meaningful way. I love having the opportunity to be a leader in nursing, and I love traveling around the world, meeting other nurses, and feeling like I am making a difference in my profession.

But the leadership journey each of you may choose to pursue will likely be very different. In fact, that's the wonderful thing about being both a nurse and a leader: We don't have to look alike, think alike, or want the same things. We can all be unique. What we do share in being a leader is the potential to positively influence others and the life ...