Lyndee L Fogelman

I would say goals and goal-making. I've always had short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals, and once I figure out what those are gonna be, I'm pretty stubborn with them. My husband and I, we set our family goals, and then we also make sure we have our own personal goals. For me, it's been trying to set these intermediate goals now that I'm transitioning out of raising children and after working in a clinic for 20 years doing the same thing. It's been really exciting to just get out there into the world and see what's all out there.

Personally, it's always been to make sure you keep your cup full enough that it overflows to others. Professionally, I think it's definitely been to learn how to give and take, to respect your coworkers, or your students, or your patients enough that you can give, but you can also take from them. It's like putting on your mask first on the airplane - once I started being able to love myself first, I was able to love others much better.

I would say, don't forget about yourself. It's easy to think of others - we're focused on our families, we're focused on supporting other people, and we oftentimes put ourselves last. I know for myself, once I started being able to love myself first, I was able to love others much better. Pushing for what you want out of life is also going to create a contentment that helps you help others reach what they want out of life as well. It's kind of like putting on your mask first on the airplane.

The biggest challenge is probably just the availability of different jobs, specifically with online universities that are needing remote work. In today's industry, everybody feels so replaceable because the pool has expanded so much with remote work. Thanks to COVID, it opened doors where we don't always have to be in a building to work, so now we can expand our pool to include people from coast to coast. I feel like people are less tolerant, less flexible - more rigid with 'this is our plan, this is what we're doing, you either fit or you don't, and if you don't, let's just move on down the line to the next person.' Pre-COVID, we really put in the time and effort to build those relationships and listen to one another. But the opportunity is that it works both ways - you can be quickly dispensable, but you can also quickly find other opportunities. There's also a lot more diversity as to what we can do - remote work in healthcare education curriculum, provider training, insurance, case manager roles. In the same sense, there’s a lot more diversity to work in different fields besides nursing.

Absolutely, for one, my belief in God, and just that He has predestined my pathway. I am open to all the doors that come to me. I always say, if something falls into my path, I need to look it out, walk it out, and if it's meant to be, it will be. I'm a firm believer in just trusting the path and the direction it's going and not worrying about it. So far, everything's worked out exactly as it should. There's been a lot of instability with having contract jobs - that's a change from having a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, steady pay, benefits, all that good stuff. But I would say my number one is just trusting the plan and the process of it.