New Year's Day, a time of excitement and promise for so many. A gift of 365 times to meet the resolutions we've set for ourselves. Of course, so often, by the end of the first month, sometimes the first week we've given up on these promises. The problem with resolutions is that they are often vague, without measurable success and we've never stopped to really assess our reason for wanting to meet them in the first place. Many people are recommending we stop making resolutions and make goals instead but only after reflecting on what changes we really want to make and why.
As 911 Dispatchers, we often fall into unhealthy, negative habits which could use a little shaking up in the new year. We can use this time to slowly make small changes which can profoundly impact our physical and mental well-being and our professional life. The areas you want to improve will be personal but here are a few suggestions.
A goal for your home life
This is the area most people think of when talking about New Year's resolutions. Most of the time it involves health. "I want to lose weight." I want to eat healthier foods." I want to exercise more." All of these are good goals but again it takes more then just wanting to make necessary changes. Once you reflect on the underlying motivation, such as, "I want to reduce my chance of weight related illness, like diabetes" or "I want to decrease inflammation in my joints" or "I want to feel less stiff", it's easier to decide what steps you want to take to meet your goal, as well as how to measure success along the way. This is super important because then you can also set positive rewards for yourself along the way. Goals shouldn't be just drudging through the hard part so you can get back to what you were doing before. Goals also don't have to be huge. Make little changes like drink more water, explore food prep or walk 15 minutes a day.
A goal for your work life
Due to the hours, the mandatory overtime and the stress, most of us fall into pretty bad habits at work. We're exhausted by the end of our shift so our motivation to meet our goals once we get home plummets. Making small goals at work can improve this. Unlike the goals we make at home, the goals we make at work often have to start at home. If we want to eat healthier meals, we need to prepare them and bring them. But we can also make sure that we incorporate healthy habits into our work day, like making sure we eat something with a good protein/carb/fat balance every 3 hours or stand up every 15 minutes. Maybe even stretch a little or do some chair yoga. We might be tethered to the desk but we have options. These small changes can make work life feel healthier and not just be the black hole in your home goals.
A goal for your social life
Often one of the first things to go for a 911 Dispatcher is their social life. Again, the long hours and the exhaustion play a role. I've also found that after spending 10 hours talking and being talked at, the last thing I wanted was to have to interact with another person especially in a social setting. Having a healthy social life, one with a variety of friends, including those who work outside public safety helps keep us grounded and decreases isolation which can increase depression, cynicism and burnout. Seeing things from the non-jaded lens of people who don't only interact with the maddest, baddest and saddest of society can help us recalibrate our lens as well.
A goal for your professional life
This is different than a work goal. A work goal is designed for the day in and day out, while a professional goal casts a wider net. What do you want from your career? Do you want to pursue additional training, such as tactical dispatch or peer support? Do you want to be more involved with professional organizations such as NENA or APCO? Do you want to attend conferences? 911 Dispatch is a unique calling but like many jobs it benefits from professional growth. After all, who among us doesn't want to do our job better?
Setting goals this time of year is common. Looking back in 12 months and counting the goals met with excitement is not. This doesn't need to be true if your goals have strong foundations and manageable, measurable pieces. The true goal is to reap the benefits of the goals-to feel better personally, socially and professionally. We can't move forward without taking the first step and although accomplishing goals begins in the mind, it cannot end there. Eric Greitens, a decorated Navy SEAL sums this up in his book, Resilience, "Remember that deciding is not doing, and wanting is not choosing. Transformation will take place not because of what you decide you want, but because of what you choose to do.”
