Section 4: Purpose, Mission, & Direction
Why do we miss the military?
You've likely had your fair share of lousy days. Field exercises, gear layouts, mandatory "fun" days, the list goes on. Surely these aren't why you miss the military.
To understand the true reason, we need to factor in the core drivers. There are 3 motivators the military is well-known for: Purpose, Mission, and Direction. Together, these create a sense of meaning.
These contributors to a sense of meaning were ingrained in you from the moment you joined the military.
Your purpose was your reason for joining the military.
Your mission was the teamwork, accountability, and responsibility to achieve something greater than yourself.
Your direction, communicated through the chain-of-command, provided guidance and clarity on action to take.
Once you leave the military, your purpose, mission, and direction are often lost in the process. Until you replace them with something new, it will feel like something is missing from your life.
If you think this sounds familiar to the self-identity section, you would be right. Purpose, mission, and direction are some of the strongest elements that make up your self-identity.
We need a purpose in life, a mission to pursue, and direction to guide our actions.
THIS is the reason many people miss the military.
Amidst the challenges that come with military life, they do a fantastic job creating purpose, mission, and direction (along with meaning, responsibility, accountability, and teamwork).
Once you leave the military, that connection to purpose, mission, and direction often goes with it. Whether known or unknown at the time, it becomes your responsibility to replace them with something new.
Replacing these likely won’t happen overnight. It may take weeks, months, or years to redefine them. That transitory time between the old and new can bring mixed feelings.
These feelings can include confusion, frustration, uncertainty, and fear as you redefine the “why” for getting up each day.
On the other end are positive feelings like excitement, hope, and happiness at the thought of newfound freedom and opportunity.
The actions you take during this time can have either a positive or negative impact.
Positive actions:
Creating a vision for your future
Seeking out mentors
Learning about different career pathways
Negative actions:
Scrolling on your phone for hours
Substance abuse to mask pain and frustration
Letting go of positive habits like a fitness routine
This is the perfect opportunity to reintroduce structure back into your life; similar to the structure and routine in the military. The activities that fill this time can either kickstart your next chapter or hold you back.
To gain insight into the highest priorities to start working toward, let's dive deeper into Purpose, Mission, and Direction.