JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
"Compete against everyone else and no one will want to help you. Compete against yourself and everyone will want to help you." - Simon Sinek
I like to run. I run a lot. Some would say to the point of obsession. I don't look at it that way. I look at running as a way to keep healthy, stay fit and even, dare I say it, relax.
The other morning, while out on a normal run, I felt a pain in my leg. That, coupled with the fact that I just wasn't feeling it that morning, made me decide to break the run off early. This was about seven minutes into what was supposed to be about a 45-50 minute run.
However, when it came time to make the quick turn home I decided I could go for another five minutes. When those five minutes were up, I did the same - again and again - until I hit my 50 minute goal.
So, what's the significance of this story?
The five-minute-at-a-time approach to the 50 minute goal relates very closely with how we can plan and work our careers.
Let's use the Airman Development Plan, as an example. There's a section for your one to three year assignment choice - the next five minutes. Then you've got a section for both three to five years and five to 10 years - that 50 minute goal.
You've probably heard that the most important job is the one you have right now. Do your best in that job and the rest will take care of itself. That's true - to a point.
You do need to do your best in your current job. Focus on that job. Focus on the next five minutes. However, you also need to have at least an idea of what you want to do in the future. What is your goal, your 50 minutes?
That's why we have tools such as the ADP and the career-field pyramid. They'll help you determine where you should go and when. With an idea of what you want to do and where you want to be, you can make the most of the near term goals to develop the expertise you need now; the same expertise that will become the foundation in later assignments.
Speaking of foundations - in running, especially in distance running, you need to build a base before you start adding on mileage. The same is true in your career. That's why jobs at the beginning of your career are designed to help you learn the basics of the job; what to do and how to do it. Later on, once you've mastered those fundamentals, you start specializing by building upon that base.
To establish a base, and then build upon it, seek out mentors and experiences. They'll help point you in the right direction in both your current endeavors and where you should be looking down the road.
Plan out your work, both the near-term job and your career, but be willing to alter plans. Having that roadmap, and adjusting it when needed, will help guide you in not just your runs, but your life.