Ant Middleton shares self-development tips from his new book “Military Mindset” with FQ’s Tim Barnes-Clay.
1. Set Achievable Goals
Goals are the milestones on the road to your destination. Whether that’s a dream you want to realise, the person you want to become, or a mission to capture a high-value target, you should be passionate about them. We are always told to write our goals down as if that’s somehow going to help us achieve them. That is nonsense. You shouldn’t have to write down your goals. If you really want to achieve something, it should already be there in your head. Whatever your goal may be, the key to achieving it is always the same: break it down. A military mission is essentially a series of goals the team has to navigate together. The only rule is: don’t make them too big.
2. Be Consistent In Your Discipline
Discipline, at the most basic level, is about doing the things you don’t want to do but you know you need to do. That normally means doing the small things. Discipline isn’t necessary for the big things in life. Discipline is about paying attention to the details, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. The military places a premium on personal discipline. It is one of the very first lessons you learn when you join. For example, we had to look immaculate in our ceremonial uniform – our No. 1s. In the military, I began to realise that’s what discipline is all about: dealing with the unseen things as if they’re seen. Being disciplined enough to realise that the small things count.
3. Focus, Not Frustration
Hunting the high-value targets in the military called for a lot of patience – and focus. Sometimes, we’d wait all day for a ping. Hours and days would pass. During those periods, we wouldn’t allow ourselves to get frustrated. Unless you’re disciplined, focus can easily bleed into frustration. It takes a lot of grit, courage and mental resilience not to give into frustration, to stay in that zone of focus, especially when you’re in a high-stress environment. When that F kicks in, make sure it’s Focus, not Frustration.
4. You Cannot Be Too Prepared
If you’re preparing for a challenge in life or working on your self-development, don’t waste a moment. Spend every single second making life easier for yourself. When you take on that task, begin that project, or face that opponent in the arena, it should almost feel like you’re at home – you should be that familiar with the situation. If you’re preparing for a big job interview, make sure you find out as much about the role as possible beforehand. If you’re planning to go to the gym early in the morning, get your kit ready the night before to make things easier when you wake up. Preparation is the key to success. Deep down, you’ll know if you have prepared for something. You will feel confident and ready. And that confidence will breed success.
About Ant
For Ant Middleton, a Royal Marines Commando and Elite Operator with the SBS, the combat zone was a training ground like no other. In his book Military Mindset, he shares his hard-won military expertise so you can apply it to your life meaningfully and practically. Military Mindset is published by Hodder and Stoughton.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.