Making changes in your life are great and it is the way we grow and develop as people. Change is a constant process and part of being human. As you pursue your firefighter career you will Find Your Life Baseline is unique. A fire service career is different from any other job you have had in your life. Understanding where you are in your life, your baseline, and setting goals to accomplish your dream are critical.
When you embark on on your career as a firefighter it is important to find what changes you need to make in your life. In order to accomplish this you have to start from where you are. Until you know where that is it would be difficult to effectively make the needed changes. You have to start with a baseline.
What is Your Baseline
Starting with a baseline is about honestly figuring out where you are and what you are doing so that you know exactly what needs to be changed. It may sound odd, but many of us are unaware of what we do today to day. We feel we have no extra time, however, we have never really attempted to analyze how we use our time daily.
When I was a fitness coach I would have my clients tell me they want to lose weight. The first thing I would ask them to do is keep a food journal for a week just to get a baseline. The next week they share how shocked they were to see not only how much they were eating, but also what they were eating. Many of us are on autopilot and we simply are not aware of what we are doing. When you track it – and this works with anything – you have a real picture of where you are and what needs to change.
Statistics show most people consistently spend about 10% more than they make. Often time the reason for this is because what is being spent, especially on a credit card, is not tracked. Our time management is the same issue, we simply do not tranck it. I once had a Firefighter tell me that they just didn’t have enough time to accomplish everything she needed to do. However, when she tracked her time for a week she was made painfully aware that she was spending hours in front of the television.
Mindset – Oftentimes what separates us from being the firefighter we are and the firefighter we want to be is our mindset. Our mindset is the foundation of a lifestyle that is in line with whom we want to become. It keeps us disciplined to do the necessary daily work to uphold our end of the deal – the oath.
The First Step in Change is Awareness.
You have to become aware of what you are doing and exactly where you are before you can proceed forward. Keeping track for a week or two will provide you with valuable information that will support your change effort. When and how often do you workout? How much time do you spend improving yourself? How much time is spent on leisure activities such as watching television? These are just a few areas where you need to get a strong understanding of where you are in your life.
Before you embark on any type of change effort you have to know where you are. I liken it to those travel maps that have an X printed next to “You are here.” Until you are aware of exactly where you are – and many of us don’t have a clue – it will be impossible to make the needed change.
Keep a log for a week or two. This will give you a realistic idea of what you are doing. You can track anything from how much money you spend to how many hours of sleep you get. Once you know the truth about where you are you can proceed.
Now that you have a baseline, it’s time to set your goals for success. Pursue your career with passion! I promise you won’t regret you decision.
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