In two weeks, we will be into the first week of January 2024. Are you reflecting on this past year before flying into 2024? Why should you even bother to take the time to mull over the year?
Taking time to reflect
To grow we need to reflect on where we have been, what we have experienced, and what we have learned from those experiences. In John C. Maxwell’s book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, he writes about the Law of Reflection and states, “there are some kinds of growth that come to us only if we are willing to stop, pause, and allow the lesson to catch up with us.”1
Do you stop, pause, and take time to reflect? Are you learning from your experiences?
Review the year
Before December ends, I will sit down with my calendar, review 2023, and:
- Write a list of what worked, what did not work, and ask why for both.
- Create a list of people who I invested time with this year.
- Review the photos on my phone reflecting on where I have been, who I was with, and what the experience meant to me.
Should you do this?
Why should you do something similar? Because this exercise causes us to be thankful for who and what we have in life, and it contributes to our growth. Maxwell wrote, “When it comes time to reflect, make sure you’re looking back in a way that will help you move forward.”2 Taking the time to review the year also reveals what is missing.
What are you missing?
Does your fire department provide the leadership and personal development training that you need to become a better company or chief officer? I’m not referring to the ad nauseum, annual human resources training about what happens to you if someone is offended by something they perceive that you did or said. No. I’m addressing training and programs that equip you to excel far above the average company or chief officer.
What are you doing to improve yourself in 2024? Visit my website at www.fireofficerleadershipacademy.com or send an email to [email protected] to learn more about how I can help you develop into a world class company or chief officer.
1John C. Maxwell, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth (New York: Center Street, 2012), 51
