Growth
The summer olympics just ended and it was a great testament of what is required to grow. Those elite athletes continued to practice their athletic event from the olympics four years ago to now.
Growth is another critical component of strategic future planning. It involves constantly learning and developing new skills and knowledge to adapt to changing circumstances while remaining relevant in your chosen field. When you prioritize growth, you are better equipped to achieve your goals and reach your full potential.
I joined the army when I was 17 years old. During that time, I was already proficient in knowing what I needed to get done daily. I was also very good in sports, which I think help me, not only because of the competitiveness, but also in my ability to work with others, which includes listening skills and executing instructions, based on feedback from coaches and fellow players. Teamwork! When I joined the military, it was required for me to work with other soldiers and also to be physically active, and being part of youth sports teams made this process relatively seamless.
I continually sought out opportunities for growth to keep me going in my career when I joined the military. Most of the people in my high school could not believe that I enlisted. Let alone for five years. I became a patient administrator and later found out that I could become a physician’s assistant, so I applied for that opportunity during that time. I also knew that my passion was teaching and that when I retired, I wanted to teach, so I began to work on earning a doctorate in education, which I eventually completed.
Furthermore, I was also quite interested in orthopedics, so when I was given the opportunity to become a PA in orthopedics, I took advantage of it. The military also gave me different opportunities for different jobs, such as working in a research institute, and also when I served as an inspector general, I was able to command a clinic.
Sports helped me figure out some of these processes. It is important to have a growth mindset and it’s also important to be flexible because things change all the time, and the requirements change as well.
I feel very fortunate that I have been able to advance in my career, from being enlisted to becoming an officer, and also being able to advance my education that is applicable to the civilian market as well as in the military.
My deployments have also provided me with opportunities to learn from different people from different backgrounds, here and abroad, not only from the Department of Defense, but also from our NATO allies. Once again, a testament to the value of team sports!
What have you done in the past in your growth? What are you doing now? Depending on where you want to be in the future, what should you be doing now for your continued growth?
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