Did you know that nearly half of all Americans make annual resolutions, but a mere 8 percent keep them? If you’re planning to start the new year with a wish list, you may want to stack the odds in your favor. Here are just a few examples of how working locum tenens assignments can support common New Year resolutions and help you make your plans a reality.

One of the most popular resolutions is to become a better person. As healthcare providers, you’ve committed to caring for others.

When you agree to locum tenens jobs, you’re also assisting hospitals, outpatient centers, or private physician practices in need of additional staff. By filling that void, you’re ensuring that facility continues to provide its patients with the necessary medical care. And that’s something you can feel really good about.

Plus, if your definition of a “better person” is to be kinder to people you encounter, temporary contracts can help you accomplish that, too. As a locum tenens professional, you’re new to everyone on site.

You’ll undoubtedly feel compelled to be more friendly and professional to make a positive impression.

Are you committed to earning or saving more money this year? Short-term contracts can certainly help with this goal. In many cases, locum tenens physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners earn higher hourly rates.

Plus, many of the associated costs are covered by the staffing company, including transportation and housing.

Not only do short-term contracts immerse you in a different clinical environment, you’re temporarily living in a community that’s new to you, too. These circumstances naturally prompt you to try new restaurants, outdoor activities, social, and cultural venues.

Plus, practicing alongside unfamiliar colleagues may expose you to different procedures or treatment approaches.

Switching employers is a major life decision, especially if it entails relocating to a different city or state. Locum tenens removes many of the unknowns in a job search that can add stress to the process.

Assignments basically become working interviews: You get to know first-hand how a facility or practice operates. You also see what a city has to offer and, more importantly, whether a particular situation fits what you’re looking for in a new position and hometown.

Many physicians and mid-level providers who have adopted the alternative career say they can devote more time to loved ones between contracts. When they’re not on assignment, they’re with their families as much as they’d like to be.

And remember, you have control over your locum tenens schedule. You choose how often and for how long you work.

If you’re really serious about keeping your New Year’s resolutions, try these tips to improve your odds for success.

• Create reminders: A key to remembering something is to write it out. The process of putting pen to paper can better cement an idea to memory.
• Simplify goals: The more complex and convoluted a goal, the less likely you’ll stay motivated. The more simple and realistic a goal, the more likely you’ll stay focused.
• Reward success: Perhaps one of the best methods to ensure New Year ‘s resolutions turn into year-round positive lifestyle habits is congratulating yourself when you reach a goal. Success oftentimes leads to more success.

Find out more about how you can succeed in locum tenens by calling a Weatherby Healthcare consultant today.