A young adult walking down the street spots a fire apparatus running Code 3 toward a smokestack in the distance. In that moment, she dreams of what it would be like to be on that rig. A new recruit struggles to finish the last push-ups in his set as the sweat drips into his eyes. The grunts of the recruit next to him fades as the lead instructor yells out to the group: “Push beyond the pain and dig deep!” A few hours later and a few miles away, a firefighter stationed at one of the busiest companies in town is burning the midnight oil. He’s typing furiously to finish a school paper while the other firefighters try to squeeze in some sleep between runs. The tones drop. The firefighter hits the save button and closes his laptop as he begins to make his way to the rig.
All of these people though not acquainted are deeply connected. They represent different points along a timeline of career aspirations. And though each person faces a different path of obstacles, they all have one thing in common: The power of “yet.”
The word “yet” is powerful in that it’s not just a word, it’s a statement. The power of yet is an anticipation of a positive mindset—a realistic appraisal of a current position and the potential that exists when commitment and dedication are applied to an envisioned end state. Just like any powerful statement, words are only words until they’re actions. Anyone can talk a big game; anyone can armchair quarterback. Realizing a goal takes focus and hard work, two foundational characteristics that, once ignited, can change a person’s life.
Strategic Goal Setting
When it comes to envisioning your future self, there is strategic goal setting and there is wishful thinking. On the one hand, strategic goal setting is objective and quantifiable. Alternately, wishful thinking is qualitative and subjective, and more akin to playing the lottery. Usually, wishful thinking results in a reality that doesn’t meet expectations. This outcome is disappointment. Motivated individuals who want to realize their “yet” should use an objective approach that has proven to work for departments and businesses around the world: strategic goal setting.
Strategic goal setting isn’t just for suits in large private organizations or the chiefs down at headquarters. A strategic goal-setting approach can be used for both small and large goals. Like the incident command system (ICS), you can scale strategic goal setting up or down depending on the size of the goal. Small incidents (or short-term goals) can usually be handled with one or two companies. This means that a few, manageable, task-level steps completed will result in reaching a goal. Larger incidents (or bigger, more complex goals), require an expanded ICS, which usually includes all the branches, especially the planning and intelligence groups. Large goal setting takes a series of small actions at the task level and organizes them tactically. As the tactical priorities of the overall strategy are met, the commander gets closer to their strategic goal.
Everyone has read about how dangerous freelancing can be at any incident. When task-level operations are being conducted that do not fit with the strategy, there are going to be negative outcomes. Just like on the fireground, task-level actions in your goal setting must be aligned with the strategy. That’s why a foundational aspect of strategic planning is in creating goals that are SMART.
Setting SMART Goals
SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relative, and timely. Whether goals are short term or long term, each should be a SMART goal.
A goal must be specific so that a target can be drawn. This should answer the question: “What is your goal?” Next, a goal has to be measurable. This should consider the current measurement of where you are in relation to your goal today and where you intend to be when you reach the goal.
The next part, attainability, is a check on the overall goal. Remember, there’s strategic goal setting and wishful thinking. If your goal isn’t attainable, you’re going to be disappointed. The power of the word “yet” is powerful and motivating, but it’s not magical.
Relevance is the fourth factor of SMART goal setting. When crafting your strategic goals, think about how they relate to your overall strategic goal. This should answer the question: “Is this goal relevant to my overall strategic goal?”
The last piece to consider is in your goal setting is time. This factor reminds the goal setter to set a time of completion. Open ended goals will never be accomplished and goals with timelines that aren’t realistic will fail. Be kind to your future self and give yourself the time that’s realistic to accomplish your goal.
On Accountability
Everyone wants to rule the world, but not everyone wants to be accountable. Just as we work hard to maintain an image of professionalism and accountability to our citizens, especially those that call us on the worst day of their lives, maintain your accountability during your goal setting; you owe it to yourself. Take the time to set and manage your goals strategically, then track the progress on a board. Your board can be on a paper posted on the refrigerator or on an app on your phone or computer. The key is to monitor your own progress. Then remember that even though we can be our own worst critics, we can also be our own biggest motivators. Track your progress. It’s okay to fail. Learn from your mistakes and rework your strategic goal.
Social media can be a fantastic tool to bring people together, but it also has a dark side. Influencers post pictures and videos of lavish lifestyles suggesting that the only way to be happy is to have all of the things and followers that they have. Many people end up focusing on what they don’t have and struggle to reach what they think will make them happy. My suggestion is to put the phone down. Take time to realize where you are right now and all of the work you’ve done that has gotten you to this point. Acknowledge it and celebrate it! Reflection is a critical aspect of strategic goal setting. After you’ve reflected and celebrated keep moving towards your next strategic goals.
The power of “yet” is incendiary. A positive mindset supported by SMART strategic goals can turn “yet” into reality. No matter where you are in your career from wanting the job, to getting the job, to promoting in the job, you may not be there—yet—but you can build the roadmap to get there. Hold yourself accountable because you deserve it. Reflect on how far you’ve come in your journey, celebrate, and then keep moving. The word “yet” is powerful in that it’s not just a word, it’s a statement of where you want to be.
Manuel A. Maldonado resides in El Paso, Texas and has 16 years of career and volunteer fire department experience. He holds a bachelor’s of applied arts and science degree in public safety management from West Texas A&M and a master’s of public affairs from the University of Texas at Rio Grande valley. He currently serves as the assistant chief of operations for the West Valley Volunteer Fire Department ESD#2 and the battalion chief overseeing the organizational research and development division for the City of El Paso Fire Department.
