This document discusses defining and achieving success in a military career. It suggests beginning by envisioning the end goal and working backwards from there. There are 5 categories to consider for defining success: rank, position, location, years of service, and skills/knowledge. The document provides guidance on establishing benchmarks and mapping out the career path needed to achieve the defined success, with the help of a mentor.

1. Defining Success
Start at the end, not the beginning

2. This is the vision the Egyptians had
It wasn't the patch of desert they first started clearing

3. There are 5 categories of Success
Rank
Position
Location
Number of Years of
Service
Skill set or knowledge
achieved

4. 5 Categories Breakdown
Let's say you define success as Rank and Position,
"I want to be the DIV CMD SGM
Or, Rank and Location, "I want to be a 1SG in
Sauk Centre
How about, "I want to learn a trade working at
Camp Ripley - Diesel/Turbine Mechanic, Payroll
Accountant, or Instructor at RTI"

5. So rather than asking yourself what is the next
step in trying to achieve that goal, you need to
begin by identifying where it is that you want to end
up.
In other words, when you take your uniform off for
the last time, what is going to define success for
you. What are you going to proud to say to your
friends and family when they ask you the question,
"what did you get out of serving?"

6. The Road Map
So rather than looking at the next step, let's
define where success is and what it looks like

7. The "I" Gate
at Camp
Ripley
This is where success lies.
Your goal is to determine
what that means to you

8. Some factors to consider
How much time do you have
where are you at currently (Rank, # of years
remaining, MOS/Position)
What do you need to do to get there
What are you willing to do to achieve
success
How does your family timeline fit inside
your goal(s) (e.g. graduating
H.S./College, marriage, grand kids,
spouse retirement, etc)
*IS THIS GOAL REALISTIC*

9. Establishing your benchmarks
In order to succeed, you need to
next identify (a) the steps you need
to take to get there, (b) about how
long it should take you to reach
each benchmark, and (c) about how
long you should be staying in each
area
The map of Camp Ripley
provides an excellent visual marker
because it has natural built in phase
line
1-5
Years
6-15 Years
15-20
Years

10. The path to get there
Once you have defined success and
figured out your timeline now you must
layout the path you want to take to get
you there.
Starting at your goal, identify 2-3
positions that will absolutely attain that
goal for you.
From there, identify those positions that
feed each one of those positions.
Lastly, identify the positions you need in
order to make your way there

11. SOUND SIMPLE
ENOUGH?

12. Some Other Things to
Consider
Your career cannot and should not look like a ladder but more like
a cargo net. With a ladder there is only one way up, with a cargo
net you can move in all different directions to make the best path
for you.
Watch out for DANGER ZONES!
Who is your competition

13. SO WHERE DO I
GO FROM HERE?

14. The Next Steps
Identify all of the positions you need to lay out your timeline -
this may take some time and some assistance
Put it down on paper!!! Actually do the work to lay this out
Start/Complete your Multi-Source Assessment and
Feedback (MSAF) 360 Assessment
Contact your Mentor Coordinator - he/she will have some
additional items to fill out and return.

15. Getting Assigned a
Mentor
Once these items have been returned, your
Mentor Coordinator will sort through the list of
trained mentors and find one that can help you
reach the next step or phase in your journey

16. What your Mentor will help you with
The mentor you are assigned is
there to help guide you and offer
advice on where to go from where
you are currently at.
They are not there to do the work
for you, only to offer advice, give
recommendations, provide tools
and resources, and give you some
lessons they have learned along
the way.