Final Thoughts For 2024

With the last day of 2024, the last reflection before moving forward into 2025 with more determination and energy than the previous year.

I once thought that burnout was something to survive. Now I know it's something to learn from.

Burnout isn't just a workplace problem—it's a human experience. And after 22 years as a police crisis negotiator, I've learned that our most challenging moments often become our most profound teachers.

Three insights that transformed my understanding this year:

• **Burnout is a Universal Language** In my post "I'm Done: The Struggle with Burnout", I shared a raw truth: burnout feels "lonely, isolating, overwhelming, debilitating." It's not weakness—it's a signal that something needs to change.

• **Every Decision Carries Weight** Reflecting on my police years, I realised that "Those who work for the police do so because they genuinely want to help others." The same is true for mental health work—it's about genuine human connection.

• **Impostor Syndrome Meets Reality** We must "Accept that we are as good as others say we are and that we got to where we are because of who we are." This isn't arrogance—it's acknowledging our true worth.

This year brought significant milestones: publishing "Anxiety is a Worry", expanding WARN International's training programmes, and continuing my work with Life Education Trust, Look Good Feel Better, Tango Kilo Mike, Save The Brave and Volunteer Fire Brigades.

But the real achievement? Helping people understand that mind (mental) health isn't a destination—it's a journey.

In 2025, we're diving deeper. More practical tools, more real conversations, more understanding that personal resilience isn't about being unbreakable—it's about learning how to cope and rebuild when we stumble.

Let's talk!

New Year's Day, A Good Place To Start Or Just Another Day?

New Year's Resolutions!

Much has been written about the value, or otherwise, of New Year’s resolutions.

Some say they are great, others that they are a waste of time. It comes down to YOU!

For me, New Year is a time for rejuvenation and reinvigoration. It is a launching pad that has a definitive starting point to begin the year.

There are plenty of firsts in our lives and they always leave a meaningful impact. The first day of each school year, the first dance, the first kiss, the first day of work, the first... We all can remember our firsts.

I love the start of a new year; it is the first part of each year that sets the scene for the direction I want to head for the remainder of the year. The first day, not necessarily.

For me, the place to start is at the beginning of the first full week of January. New Year’s day is a holiday after all.

I always write a list of goals, targets to aim for. I am, however, not a fan of goals fitting the SMART framework - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

My goals are nothing more than a single sentence without constraints.

I don’t know about you but when others put rules around how I should do something it feels restrictive. For me, rules like the SMART guide go against my natural flow.

My goals are always Specific though and start with the word 'To'. This year one of my goals is ‘To get back into Australia with our work’.

I always set five goals, not sure why that is or where it came from, it just feels right for me.

The only Measure I set myself is; did I get there or close to it at the end of the year.

How do we know if our goal is Achievable until we have worked on it? I would rather see where my goal led me, often it is never where I thought it would be and is always better than I could imagine.

My goals are Relevant to me, not necessarily to the business or for anyone else, for it is my goal. Never do I set a Timeframe, only that I will try and get there as soon as possible.

My goals fit the SR guide – Specific and Relevant – and that works for me.

Once written out with a pen on paper I tend not to look at my goals until halfway through the year. I sometimes wonder whether I achieved any goals, if I am heading in the general direction and to remind myself that I did have a direction at the start of the year.

Do I achieve my goals, absolutely. Well, sometimes. Maybe. Mostly, if I am honest!

If I have not achieved all my goals mid-year, I adjust them to suit the direction I now wish to head.

Most often, what I have achieved is always way beyond where I envisaged that I would be. It blows my mind how this technique always works for me.

It is also at this time, the end of the year, where I look back and reflect to see what we actually achieved. Never exactly as planned yet always rewarding.

We all need a sense of direction, a target to aim for, one that we set ourselves according to our own desires. And, we all need a place to start, the date when you first set your goals.

My advice if you are considering whether to write New Year’s resolutions? Don't listen to what others say about them, nor should you listen to me, listen to yourself.

It need not be the start of the year, but why not then?

When do you want to start your new year with an impactful direction, it might be right after you have read this post.

Let's talk!

Thrive In 2025.

Our posts always focus on the positives, nothing will change this year.
What you might notice this year is that we will be offering a wider selection of strategies to help you through life's challenges.

Each year since 2020 there has been a mantra with last year being “Survive to 2025”.

Given that we are all different, that we live differently, that we have different experiences and that we have different priorities, we need your help to provide exactly what you want.

If you have something going on in your life that you're finding particularly challenging, there will always be others going through the same thing.

We could continue to post on what we think is relevant but that's just about us, we would prefer our posts to be about you.

I welcome you to get in touch and let me know about what you're finding particularly troublesome, and I will offer a range of suggestions based on validated research.

Our work is grounded in three facets - neuroscience (brain imaging), positive psychology (focusing on strengths and positive experiences) and emotional intelligence (ability to perceive, understand and manage our own emotions and relationships).

You can text or leave a voicemail to 0211105547, email lance@warninternational.com or direct message me on any of our social media platforms.

Please know that any personal information that you share, as well as your name or any other identifying factor, will be held in the strictest confidence and your message deleted immediately.

‘Helping people to help themselves’ has always been our aim and this will also continue.

We learn from each other, therefore if you read a post of ours please add your contribution in the comments which will add to our knowledge.

Let us all contribute so that we can “Thrive in 2025”.

Let's talk!

We see you 💝

We see you, those who are hurting, those who have lost loved ones, those who are struggling, and those who found 2024 a difficult year.

Time may not heal, may not help, may not seem possible, yet time brings distance and distance can bring change.

Love to you all, we see you and want you to know that we are here for you if you think we can help.

Together, we’ve got this.

Christmas, A Time For Reflection.

Christmas is a time for reflection on the year gone by and the new one approaching.

For me, it has been the toughest year in the 10 years of being in business. We are fortunate, from what I am seeing of others.

Whether it is because of the topics we offer or how we deliver our programs - we have got through the year with just a few bumps and bruises.

Many have been hit hard this year in their work, their personal life, or both.

If I can offer one piece of advice, that is to use this Christmas as a time of reflection and as a launching pad for the new year.

I was always a proponent of moving forward quickly when tough times happen. Pushing through the emotions to focus entirely on the future.

This had worked but not so much these days. The more I learn about the brain the more I understand the need to stop and feel the pain that tough times bring.

This year I pushed through tough times and hit the proverbial wall. I took a week off and realised how tired I was.

Rest is how we recover, both physically and emotionally. Rest brings reflection. When we rest, we have to stop and think.

Taking the time to stop and think can be scary, yet it is needed if we are to move forward.

Take time off if you can, reflect on the year that has been, and recall the tough times.

Tough times don't necessarily make us stronger but they do make us wiser. This is how we learn from our past, rather than it becoming a trigger that holds us back.

When you've completed your reflection then it is time to reinvigorate. Looking forward, what do you want to achieve in the next year, and how will you go about it?

It is often said that goals should fit the formula of SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, & time-bound.

For me, goals should be one thing – flexible. Life changes fast, so we must be prepared to adjust our goals to suit as needed.

Whatever goals you set for 2025; I wish you the very best at achieving them. That is all we can hope for and all we should expect of ourselves, doing the very best that we can.

Use these holidays to rest, to reflect and to reinvigorate.

I look forward to seeing you achieve your goals, whatever they might be.

Let's talk!