President's Message | 8.24.2023
Momentum: We are a Mass in Motion!
When I was younger I used to love rollercoasters, but as I’ve aged my body just doesn’t handle all of the twists, turns, and G-forces like it used to. I was quickly reminded of the fact that I am not 18 anymore when riding a rollercoaster in my hometown recently. Never mind the 305 ft drop and speeds exceeding 70 mph. What really got me was the sudden stop at the end that thrust my torso into the harness while my dangling legs went flying out in front of me as if they were continuing to ride without the rest of my body. I could imagine Mr. McCluskey, my 10th grade physics teacher, reciting Newton’s 1st Law of Motion “a mass in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force”.
Much like that rollercoaster gliding down its 300 ft drop, there’s great potential to gain similar momentum in business and in life. With the right kickstart to get things in motion, inertia seems to take over and allow everything to roll along at a powerful speed. But much like the brakes and the harness of that rollercoaster, external forces can create friction and slow the roll or take us off track. I have found that distraction, discouragement, and doubt are the common hindrances to the flow and progress of my projects and work. If I’m not careful, I can easily slip into attempting to multi-task like eating lunch while reading a report, or checking emails while on a zoom call, or diverting to social media from my research on the internet. Juggling these tasks generate friction and disrupt my momentum on all of them.
Success requires a clear vision, focus, and strategy to achieve a specific goal. Once momentum is created, it is up to the team to create an environment that fosters forward movement and also works to avoid friction. There’s an incredible force and momentum within NAON built by years of work and thousands of members before us. We are dedicated to our vision, our strategic plan, and to focused efforts keep our foot on the gas to keep the momentum going on the road ahead.
We are already planning our next annual Congress in Louisville, KY in May 2024! Our call for podium and poster presentations is officially open, and I want to personally encourage and invite you to share your experience and knowledge with us at Congress. Proposals for podium presentations are due bmorrow, August 25 and poster proposals are due by September 15. We are also excited to announce our Fall Virtual Symposium for Allied Health, Nursing, and Advanced Practice providers on September 20 which offers a host of amazing topics and esteemed speakers.
We, NAON, are a mass in motion. Join us, and encourage your colleagues to join us, as we work together to keep the momentum of our organization and profession going forward!