The problem with being a firefighter is you have no control over when and where you’ll be working.
It’s not a proactive job.
You can’t hose down the entire neighborhood and walk away thinking ‘well that’s that estate safe for another year’.
You have to go where the fire is and if it’s across town at 3am then that’s where you have to be.
But all firefighters know this and have signed up for this reactivity.
Now what about the metaphorical firefighter?
Who did not sign up for the agenda less work day?
Who feels they do their best work when they’re proactive?
I posit that the majority of their dissatisfaction and stress comes from their lack of autonomy and the cure for their dissatisfaction and stress will come from acquiring a smidge more control in their day.
Leo Babutua has a fantastic habit of completing his three most important tasks first thing in the morning.
These tasks are aimed at progressing long term projects with the hope of completing long term plans.
After that, the rest of the day can be spent firefighting safe in the knowledge that long term forward motion was taken care of.
Thomas Duggan 