059. The Firefighter's Guide To Building Momentum in the New Year

In this episode of the Keep the Promise podcast, we discuss the importance of building momentum for the new year to achieve personal goals, specifically tailored for firefighters. 

You will learn:

• how to set specific and measurable goals
• how to leverage the 'fresh start effect'
• what it means to build accountability through trusted teammates
• and much more 

We emphasize practical strategies and actionable steps to make 2025 a year of resilience, strength, and preparation, both on and off the job.

00:00 Introduction: Breaking Free from Routine
00:38 Building Momentum for the New Year
01:59 Setting Specific, Measurable Goals
03:24 The Fresh Start Effect
04:23 Breaking Down Big Goals
05:23 Building Accountability and Celebrating Wins
07:18 Your Challenge and Final Thoughts

Transcript

TJ: Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the, keep the promise podcast, the place where we share strategies and tactics to help you survive and thrive. Both on and off the job. I'm your host TJ. And today we're diving into something that matters to every firefighter out there. And that is building momentum for the new year. Look, we're firefighters. 

We thrive on plans, preparation, but most importantly, we thrive on action. But let's face it. When it comes to personal goals, we often get stuck. We're busy, we're overworked. And sometimes we're unsure of where to even begin. So today I want to help you kick off the new year with a purpose and with a sense of direction, stick around because by the end of this episode, you'll have a roadmap for making meaningful changes that will last. Let's get started. 

Why does momentum matter? As firefighters, we know that momentum on the fire ground is critical. It's the difference between. Putting out the fire and letting it grow. It's honestly the difference as much as I hate using this phrase. It's the difference between life and death. The same is true for your personal goals. Momentum is what keeps you moving forward when that motivation runs out. Now, let me ask you this. 

Where are you right now? Are you stuck in the same routines? Are you feeling like you're spinning your wheels? And if that's the case, don't worry because you're not alone. But here's the thing today can be that one day when you decide to change, you just need a starting point and a plan. First things first. What is it that he wants to achieve? This is not about those vague and nebulous resolutions, like quote, getting in shape or quote, being better at my job. 

No, fuck that. We're talking about specific measurable goals. For example, instead of saying, I want to get fit. Like everybody else says. Maybe try something like this. I want to be able to run a 5k in under 25 minutes by April fun fact, one of the last five case I ran it was. Cesta Mio. You know, the day after Cinco de Mayo. And I think I sweat it tequila the entire time. 

I would not recommend. So if it were my goal, If I want it to run a 5k, I would say I want to be able to run a 5k in under 25 minutes and make sure I don't do it. That they, after Cinco de Mayo and make sure I don't drink like an absolute lunatic the night before. Anyway. Saying something. 

Like, I want to run that 5k in under 25 minutes, it's clear and it's actionable. 

Plus it gives you something to work towards. Now here's an important tip. Tie your goal to a meaningful date. Maybe it's not January 1st because that was overdone. Maybe it's the anniversary of when you got hired in the fire department or maybe it's a personal milestone. It's the birth of your child? It's. When you started dating your spouse when you're married, your spouse it's whatever that meaningful date is. When your goal is linked to something significant, you're more likely to stick with it. Okay. 

Step two. And now we're going to talk about the fresh start effect. Have you noticed how at the start of something new, it could be a new year, a new job, or like a new shift? Everything feels like a clean slate. Like the opportunities are endless. That's called the fresh start effect. It's your brain's way of creating a clear boundary between the old you and the new you. And here's how you can use it. Take a hard look at what hasn't been working. 

Be honest with yourself. Maybe it's your fitness routine that's been inconsistent or your eating habits are garbage and they haven't been helping you perform whatever it is. Acknowledging that's your step one. And step two is imagine that future version of yourself. Picture that firefighter who is stronger, picture yourself being faster, more confident, and that's who you're working towards. 

That's how you're going to leverage that fresh start effect by saying clean slate.

This is the new me that I'm working towards and I'm going to go crush it.

All right. Step three. We're going to break things down. Big goals can feel overwhelming. That's why you need to break them down into smaller, manageable steps. It's that old adage of how do you eat an elephant one bite at a time? Thinking about the fire ground. We don't just show up. And today the problems over. We. Pull a line. 

We establish a water supply. We throw letters. We conduct searches. Oh. Before we can conduct searches and all that stuff, we might have to force a door. So there's small, manageable, bite sized pieces of things that we have to do on the fire ground to achieve our objective step-by-step method. To accomplish our goal. 

And that's the same thing for your personal goals? If your goal is to improving fitness, start with something simple. Maybe it's running one mile, three times a week. And then when that one feels easy, increase the distance, maybe at intervals. Just remember that progress is not going to happen overnight, but those small steps. By step by step, they will add up to big wins as the time goes on.

You also have to worry about building accountability. Because the truth is you're more likely to stick your goals. If someone else knows about them. Share your plants with a trusted teammate. Don't just look, and this is might piss off a handful of people, but. The whole social media accountability to me. Doesn't really work because most people just watch you post your goals, but they don't hold you accountable. It's different when you have a trusted. Teammate when you have somebody that will actually call you out on your bullshit. And. Who will say, Hey, are you really doing it? 

Or are you not?

And it's also better. If you can invite them to join you, because then they're going to be along that same journey with you. Uh, friendly competition really doesn't hurt. And unlike social media where people just watch your stuff and let you be. That trusted teammate that, that mutual. 

That person who's who's on that same journey with you. We'll actually call you out and hold you accountable.

It's also super important to celebrate the wins. Right. We always debrief or we should. After a call, be it a significant or a routine call. We analyze what went well, we analyze what didn't go so well and what we could do better in the future. And it's important to do the same thing with your goals. When you hit that milestone, no matter how small celebrated. Could be treating yourself to. A little healthy treat. Or taking a rest day, which is what I always advocate for, or just acknowledging the process. 

You've made hell, write it down. Uh, on a journal, if that's your thing. Today, I ran that 5k in under 25 minutes. Boom, celebrate that because those small wins just like the steps we talked about before will add up and they're going to keep the momentum going. 

Okay. So here's your challenge before the week is over. Take the following five steps. Number one pick and meaningful goal. Number two tie that meaningful goal to a specific date. Number three, take that goal and break it into manageable steps. Number four. Share it with somebody you trust who is going to hold you accountable and call you out on your shit. Number five, celebrate it. 

When you hit your first milestone. And if you need help. Setting those goals, accomplishing them and keeping track of them. The resilience tracker is your guide to it. It has daily and weekly check-ins so that you can actually write down your goals and hold yourself accountable. And most importantly, it's part of the entire fit for service program. That you can find a link below if you're looking forward to starting 20, 25. Feeling better and feeling stronger in your uniform. So start today, start small. Because the firefighter that you want to become is just a series of small decisions away.

Thanks for joining me today on the keep the promise podcast. 

If you found value in this episode, do me a solid subscribe. Leave a review and most importantly, share this with a fellow firefighter. Because together we can make 20, 25 the year that we become stronger, more resilient and better prepared to serve our communities. As always my friend stay safe, stay strong. 

Keep the promise you made to yourself to your community, to your team. And until next time, your boy, TJ signing out.