By Dave Murphy
Life in the fire service is often very stressful. The inherent demands associated with the job and the conflict of differing personalities will takes its toll on everyone at one time or another. When the job gets you down, reach into your bag of tricks and simply wave the wand. A little bit of “magic” may be just the ticket to make those blues disappear.
M – Make up your mind to be happy. No one can do this for you. Never dwell on the negative; instead, focus on the positive. Accept what you cannot change. Rise above the everyday rigors and show the world you can excel and be happy while doing it.
A – Attitude is everything. The granddaddy of clichés still rings true today. It is easy to excel at the emergency scene. Do you display the same enthusiasm during station cleanup or when training? Your attitude never takes the day off. Always put your best foot forward; you will be noticed.
G – Be a goal setter and a goal getter. It is truly a rare occasion when opportunity knocks on your door. It is much more fruitful to knock on opportunity’s door. Actively seek ways to better yourself and your department. You will develop a “can do” attitude, and goal setting will become second nature to you.
I – Inspiration and perspiration are still the major ingredients to success. Believe in yourself and work hard. You will not fail. Self-confidence continues to build when you tackle difficult assignments and work hard to achieve them. Nothing good ever comes easy.
C – Celebrate your successes. All work and no play make’s Johnny a dull boy. When you succeed–and you will–give yourself a pat on the back. Hard work deserves reward. Go ahead and buy that leather helmet that you have been eyeing. After the celebration, get back to work.
It almost goes without saying that people who are happy do a better job than those who are not happy. Developing and maintaining a superior attitude require constant diligence from everyone in the modern workplace. We will achieve more when we set personal goals and have a plan to reach them. Establish obtainable goals and then work hard to achieve them. Celebrate your successes as you plan your next goal. The fire service is comprised of a unique breed of individuals. It is, however, the individual who makes the fire service unique.
http://workplaceissues.com/motivate.htm
Dave Murphy retired as an assistant chief of the Richmond (KY) Fire Department and currently serves as an assistant professor in the Fire and Safety Engineering Technology program at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
