I was having a conversation with a firefighter friend, and he was telling me about the training and preparation that goes into his profession. He mentioned that firefighters are trained to act immediately in response to any given situation. They are always ready to act when a call comes in for a 4-alarm fire or a multi-car accident. Being prepared to act allows them to be calm, make good decisions under pressure, and be courageous in the face of fear.
Preparation involves using your “vision” to see and anticipate things ahead. However, often we find ourselves in situations and crises where we need to act. It could be a crisis at home, work, finances, or even with our children. Even the non-critical issues in life need us to act. But instead of being prepared to act, we react.
Most of us typically react to situations in front of us. Reacting often brings with it anxiousness, fear, decision paralysis, and can lead to bad decisions or even total inaction. While being prepared to act is forward-looking, reaction is often backward-looking. It’s scrambling. Not being prepared can lead us down the path towards more anxiety, which can sometimes feel unbearable.
We count on firefighters to be ready to act at a moment’s notice, to be brave and courageous, and to make good, decisive decisions quickly because life can often hang in the balance. Just because you’re not a firefighter doesn’t mean your ability to act is any less critical. While physical life and death may not be hanging in the balance, there are short and long-term consequences for every decision we make, and our decisions impact the people around us.
There are people who count on you to be prepared to act. What can you do today to begin shifting your mindset and start looking forward in preparation and anticipation for the things ahead? How can you begin to act instead of react?