Sweet N Social

Tag: military mindset

  • Start From Where You Are: Advice on How to Know if Your Actually Improving

    Start From Where You Are: Advice on How to Know if Your Actually Improving

    “Great goals make great people. People cannot hit what they do not aim for.” ― Roy T. Bennett

    How do I know if I’m actually improving (in everything) – Quora

    When I was in the military, we had to learn map reading and land navigation.  The first think they taught us was how to plot points on the map.  By learning how to plot points on the map, it taught us how to determine where we were on the map.  If you don’t know where you are on the map, you can’t determine where you are heading.  

    The second important lesson we learned about reading maps is recognizing elevation and terrain familiarization. This comes in handy if you get off track.  By recognizing a hill or a valley on the map by the elevation drawings you can follow the terrain to get back on track.

    I share this because the same fundamentals we learn in map reading and land navigation are the same fundamentals we can apply to improving ourselves.  You must know where you are and determine where you want to go.  Theses can become benchmarks on your map of life. Once your plot your points, the next step is to get going.

    Here’s an example, I used to get mad if someone cut me off when I was driving. It was so bad one day when I was taking my son to school, I had just cussed a driver out and I realized I wasn’t being such a super role model for my son who was sitting in the passenger seat watching me.  I was so embarrassed.  I vowed that day; I would change.  I didn’t know how; I just knew why. That was my first plot point on the map. 

    Over the next few months, I read and took up meditation. I learned other ways to channel my emotions.  How I measured my progress was by paying attention to see how I would react to being cut off while driving.  I was beginning to recognize the terrain that had triggered my outrage. 

    When you want to change a behavior, first figure out where you are in the process. Where are you on your life map? What triggers your behavior? Why do you want to change?  Who are you changing for?  These are your plot points on your life map.  Then determine what kind of person you want to become? What books can help you? Who can you talk to? There are more plot points that will help you on your path.

    When you no longer react but rather respond to situations that once triggered a reaction, you know you are making progress.  The landscape/ terrain starts to change within you.  

    I also would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

    1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
    2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
    3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/goals

    To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides

  • How To Be Productive in 2022: Conduct a Year End Review First

    How To Be Productive in 2022: Conduct a Year End Review First

    “Consider everything an experiment.” ― Corita Kent

    What my military experience has taught me is valuable even after retirement.

    How can one be productive? -Quora

    As this year ends, I think it’s an excellent time to reflect on just how far we have come.  We focus so much on what we want to achieve that perhaps we don’t stop and realize that we are not the same person we were when the year started. There has been people and experiences that have changed us either for the good or the bad.  This is the time to reflect and see if what you are aiming for is still relevant. Do we need to readjust and realign our priorities?  Do we still feel the same way about these things?

     In the military, we would call this time for reflection an After-Action Review or AAR for short.  This is when we would sit down and ask the participants what their experience was. Did we hit our objective?  Where did we come up short and what did we do right? What did you learn? To know is you are productive, you first need to know what the goal was that you were aiming for. 

    What is your target?

    We can apply an AAR to weekly, monthly or year end events.  Did you hit your weekly, monthly, or year-end goal? What did we come up short on and what did we do right?  What have we learned? By taking time to see what worked and what didn’t we can now adjust our aim.

    Being productive is only relevant in the terms to what you want to achieve and the kind of life you want to live.

    1. Write down your dreams and goals. You can’t hit what you can’t see.
    2. Evaluate the activity you engage in daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Are they in alignment with your core beliefs? Are they taking you to or away from your goals?
    3. Reflect on what is working and what is not. Conduct an After-Action Review.
    4. Adjust your aim and keep moving.

    For 2022 to be productive for you, take a moment of reflection and see what your core values and beliefs are. Then you will know what kind of activities you need to incorporate or eliminate.

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/productivity

    Here is an invitation to connect with me: https://linktr.ee/confidentstrides

    We also just launched our new website where you can find out Youtube videos and Anchor podcast episodes in one location. Check it out here: https://confidentstrides.com

  • Military Minded

    Military Minded

    militaryI learned a few great adages from my time in the military in which I still use to navigate life’s challenges. One that I still find myself saying and sharing with is others is “adapt and overcome”. It is a reminder to me to be flexible in dealing with situations, circumstances and people. Great time to us this is when you feel frustration setting in, stop, breathe and re-evaluate.

    Photo credit: click here.