Doctors take the Hippocratic oath when they graduate. But nurses take the Nightingale oath! The oath is inspired by Florence Nightingale – who is known as the founder of modern nursing. 

But did you know that she was a huge procrastinator? 

When Nightingale was 17 years old, she experienced what she believed was a divine call from God: devote your life for the service of others.

What did she end up doing? Nothing much actually. She decided she would become a nurse. She set goals. And had lofty intentions. But then she did nothing of worth.

Her mother and sister hated the idea of Nightingale becoming a nurse. 

Nursing was not considered a good profession for Victorian girls at that time. Her family wanted her to simply marry and be a good home maker. 

Nightingale allowed the desires of her family and social norms to sway her. She felt guilty. And every so often, she would set new goals. But then would end up doing nothing. 

For 13 long years Nightingale did nothing to answer the divine call.

So then what changed? Nightingale turned 30. And she realized: that Jesus had started his mission when he was 30 as well!

She wrote in her diary: “I am thirty years of age, the age at which Christ began his mission. Now no more childish things, no more vain things. Now, Lord, let me think only of Thy will.”

At the age of 30, Nightingale converted her goals and ambitions into a vow. 

Which made all the difference. Now, against her family’s wishes and against societal expectations, Nightingale joined a religious community where the pastor took care of the sick. Later, she enrolled herself to an institute that gave her 4 months of medical training.

She started taking action. And it all happened because she made a vow.

What’s the difference between a goal and a vow?

At the end of the day, aren’t they just words?

They may be just words, but our brain interprets them differently.

A vow brings obedience. It’s a surrender to the words. The framing changes from “I want to do” to “I must do.” 

You bind your brain.

That may sound claustrophobic. Like you are tying yourself down and removing your freedom. But it’s actually the opposite.

Because when you set a goal, your brain processes the words in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The part of the brain responsible for executing cost / benefit analysis. “Is it worth it right now?” This is why achieving goals need willpower. Because this part of the brain is constantly making choices. Very energy draining.

But when you take a vow, your brain moves the activity to the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. The area that processes judgement. Differentiates right from wrong. The thinking moves from energy draining “is this worth it” to simply: “we don’t do this.”

Vows create self vigilance.

Doesn’t your productivity go up when you know someone is overlooking your work? Don’t people behave better when they know they are being recorded?

Vigilance makes you perform. But when vigilance is external, it comes with a tinge of resentment.

When vigilance is internal and self directed, there is no resentment. Just acceptance. 

The brain stops its constant negotiating.

Goals require motivation. When goals become vows, your need for motivation goes away because you remove the part of your brain that keeps on making a cost / benefit analysis. Your energy stops draining. You feel freer.

But something even more magical happens. Your task and your identity merge. “I will do” shifts to “I am.” A vow tells you who you are.

Breaking a vow feels like identity suicide. The fear and shame arising out of it makes it easier to stick to vows. Makes it easier to take action.

Doctors and nurses take oaths.

And so do judges and prime ministers. Because a vow makes it harder for them to break their promise. The same words, but now connected to identity, removes all decision making friction. 

By the time Nightingale died, the whole field of nursing had changed!

Florence Nightingale went on to build the first secular nursing school in the world. She introduced statistics to nursing and how to extract actionable insights from data. She helped improve hygiene standards and reduce death rates significantly! She single handedly made nursing a profession to aspire for.

And it all happened because she took a vow.

Action Summary:

• Quit setting goals. A goal asks you to try. A vow leaves you no choice.
  
• The best vows have an element of identity included in the words as well. Goal: “I will write everyday.” Vow: “I promise to write everyday because I am a writer.”