3 Tips For Staying On The War Path

It is safe to say the last 2 years have had a big impact on the lives of many, we have all had plans that have fallen apart, and we have all had setbacks.

The decision you have to make is, do you adapt and overcome, or do you let life knock you down and you stay down after the count? If you belong to this community, you already know what the answer is, we ADAPT and we OVERCOME. 

Take a look at Dan Hooker, he faced every setback known to man in preparation for his last fight. His gym was shut down twice, he couldn't get a visa, he had to train in his garage at home with no training partners, and he was running out of time to make the weigh ins before the fight. Not once did he give up, he kept fighting, he kept finding solutions, he ADAPTED and he OVERCAME.  

During my military career I had many setbacks and I failed many times, no matter how many times I came up short, I dusted myself off, learned from my mistakes, and I went again. 

You can either let the current situation hold you back, or you can get creative and unorthodox in your planning, and you can get the job done. 

Here are 3 tools to make sure you stay on the war path towards your goals and dreams. 

1. Set Goals / Know Your Mission - As humans we crave progress and growth, nothing is more powerful than setting a goal and moving towards it. Having a goal also gives you something to track and measure, if you're moving towards your goal it is great motivation to keep moving, if you're not, it is a great measuring tool for you use as you problem solve and find solutions. Setting goals isn't cliché, just like the military doesn't roll out the door without a crystal clear mission, you shouldn't be waking up every single day of your life with no idea of what direction you're headed and what your mission is. Take the time, set crystal clear goals, and define your daily mission. 

2. Establish Routine - Routine reigns supreme. When you go from civilian to soldier, one of the biggest transformations of my life, you enter into a rigid routine. Every day we woke at the same time, we conducted the same routine, quickly developing the positive behaviors and habits needed to be a solider and a team player. The best way to make progress towards your goals is to establish a routine, this will make it easier to reinforce positive habits and to make progress quickly. Without routine you will start to slip, you will make mistakes, you will look for shortcuts, and you will become complacent. Develop a routine and stick to it. 

3. Meticulously Track - We all know the saying "what get measured gets done", it is the truth. If you do not measure your progress, if you do not track your progress on both a micro and macro level, you won't get the results you're looking for. When you're tracking your progress you have a greater pool of data to pull from when it comes to overcoming an obstacle in your path. Know your goals intimately and then meticulously track your progress towards it. 

You now have a choice, did you read this far to close out article and go back to mindlessly scrolling on IG or will you pull out a pen and paper and get to work? 

The choice is yours.