Set Goals & Track Progress
- MFD Cadet Coordinator
- Apr 30, 2024
- 2 min read
Aspiring firefighters often focus on physical fitness and training techniques, but equally important is setting clear goals and tracking progress along the journey. Why Set Goals? Setting goals provides direction and purpose. It helps you stay focused on what you want to achieve and motivates you to push beyond your limits. For aspiring firefighters, goals can range from passing physical exams to obtaining specific certifications, such as EMT or specialty training. Without clear goals, it's easy to lose sight of your objectives and become overwhelmed by the challenges ahead.
The Importance of Tracking Progress: Tracking your progress is like navigating with a map – it helps you stay on course and adjust your strategy as needed. By documenting your actions and achievements, you gain valuable insights into what's working and what needs improvement. It also boosts your confidence as you see how far you've come since starting your journey. Additionally, tracking progress holds you accountable, ensuring that you stay committed to your goals even when faced with obstacles.
The provided spreadsheet template is a starting point to guide you on your journey, and remember that every step forward brings you closer to realizing your aspirations. The first sheet has a timeline of possible positions. Add and replace as needed.
"E3" is the cell where you would place your projected reitrement date. This will automatically format the rest of the column to give you an indication of how many years until your reach that projected date.
"END" column is set to always place the current date. Replace that when you have ended the position and the erase the "Timeline" cell in that row. Continue with this as you progress through the positions.
On that same sheet there is a list blank list for education seperated in categories. This is a good place to track your educational goals.
The "Certifications" sheet will be an area that you can place your obtained certifications. Certifications reflect the OSFM chart at the time of this post.
The final sheet will be the "Application List" where you can place all the departments you have applied to. Tracking your application status will help you keep up with your progress.
Feel free to add sheets as you continue your course in a career with a fire department.
This template is a starting point. Feel free to design your own or build from this one. The link provided will allow you to view the document. In order to add your own information, create a copy of the document and rename it. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Google "Career Tracker" Sheet Link:
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