Life is Not a Journey & Solitude and Leadership

After years of service, veterans have a wide range of compelling career choices. A challenge is that we're used to being the Weapons Officer on Friday and assigned to be the Navigator on Monday. No Problem, right?! And in commercial enterprises, Accountants on Friday do not rotate to Sales on Monday. Such thinking is an anathema to commercial entities.

While in transition, resist the urge to say "I can do that" and "I can do that job, too" and "that one as well." Instead of seeming broadly capable and cooperative, such a gung-ho attitude can appear to be unfocused or lacking specific skills. Accounts do accounting; Sellers sell; Project Managers manage projects.

After a career of service, no matter its length, please make the time to evaluate the roles and industries that interest you. Resist conforming yourself to the description of the available position that may be available.

Here's a link to a brief and entertaining, related point of view by Alan Wilson Watts, British philosopher entitled Life Is Not A Journey.