Transition Tactics

I'm getting into Atomic Habits by James Clear, & it's making me consider the specific moments when/where habit change becomes hard to instill. This is important because you have to get into the habit of leaving the military. Especially when you choose to transition, you have to instill a practice to get ready & complete those tasks which will help you command your transition.  SHOW NOTES [01:24] The 3 Days That Affect Your "New Year": 1: The Day After Perfect (from Jon Acuff's book "Finish") 2: Day 7 (from my friend Michael Brantley) 3: Day 66 (from Gary Keller's book "The One Thing")   [01:45] Day After Perfect Imagine you have the perfect day for that new routine lifestyle process habit. You want to plan the place you will have a perfect day. Without question. The problem becomes that day after you have that perfect day. What do you do next. [02:39] Day 7 is his idea of the day of your greatest fear. [04:21] Day 66 is the new "Day 21" LINKS SPONSORS  

SHOW NOTES [00:07] There's a line between success & ambition. [01:00] There's people who join the military on day one, knowing they want to be an Admiral or General. Great for them! [02:20] The one thing we're never taught is to accept our own ambition  and how amazing we want to be individually may be different from the tribe. Accepting that is the first step to truly transitioning. [04:40] A lot of military leaders talk about their ambition in uniform, wrapped into service for America. Why not talk about that same level ambition after you get out? LINKS "The only controllable thing you have is your work ethic" --Gary Vee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz1M5fZHwNI) SPONSOR If you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com  

SHOW NOTES [00:28] On my desk right now I keep a picture. That picture has two cups of coffee on it. One cup of coffee has no logo, no labeling. The price underneath that cup is $1.25. The second cup is different. The second cup has a Starbucks logo on it and underneath the price is $3.25. [03:37] Colin Theriot writes about "Features, Advantages, & Benefits" [05:50] Imagine 20 years or evaluations helps you become a six figure copywriter. [06:25] The things you may not like in uniform, the things that most frustrate you, may be the same proving ground for what you want to do after serving. LINKS Gary Vee: You're Soft video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO4PgvLrRZE) 18 Proven Storytelling Formulas (includes Feature, Advantage, Benefit) (https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/storytelling-formulas/) SPONSOR If you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com

Alea iacta est ("The die is cast") -- Julius Caesar SPONSOR If you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com SELECTED LINKS $20,170 Challenge. Gary Vaynerchuk (GaryVee) started the year, challenging his audience to make $20,170 with their iPhone and flipping small products. By thrift store shopping and nosing around garage scales, his advice was you could find $20k of sales in the arbitrage between what you see and what other people wanted. Vintage continues to sell, so why not cash in? That link is important because the Flip Challenge is a great way to learn a market, build a side hustle, and start to roll the iron dice towards your own financial stability.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv_8StGEegc  SHOW NOTES [00:00:46] The tactic today is to roll the dice. Roll The Iron Dice. [00:02:35] You've got a one in six chance of getting to a 20 year pension. So why gamble for the one in six, when you can structure your finances to be ready for a five in six opportunity? [00:05:27] And with the iPhone, you can go to Family Dollar, a thrift store, or Goodwill, and scan barcodes to know what something is worth. And sell it before you even get home!

"The reason you join the military, isn't the reason you stay." The math is one level of judging your choice to transition. The second level is meaning. The military gives and imbues an incredible amount of meaning on it's members. No Fortune 500 corporation has the level of reverence, deference, and persistence as any military service. The military has it's own meaning, but you must find your own meaning before the uniform. That is where you make the honest choice about transitioning. SPONSOR If you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com SELECTED LINKS Parable of the Traveler. A few weeks ago, Duane France made this post about "The Traveler", someone on the road and looking to transition. But when they got to the marketplace of options and choices, there were overwhelmed and vastly underserved. The sea of confusion prevented the Traveler from finding what they truly needed. http://veteranmentalhealth.com/2017/07/27/starving-at-the-feast-a-parable-of-military-transition/ Transitioning out of the military can be exactly like this story. Fortunately, there are those like Duane & others there to help guide veterans through the marketplace, to find the meaning the always had within. Read it, then reach out to help or get help if you need it. SHOW NOTES [00:00:28] Today's tactic continues from the end of the conversation to the last episode. Today's tactic is to answer one question: Is it worth it? [00:01:39] The idea of a career is you take a few jobs together and create a career. If you look at our time in the military, within five to seven moves, you're retirement eligible. [00:02:33] I talk about expression, assistance, and impact by answering these three questions: Expression- how do I best express my strengths and my power; Assistance- how can I best help others; and then Impact- how can I best change the world? [00:06:07] Many will say it is worth it, and many will say no. But we have to help ourselves and our fellow members in uniform not assume a default decision. Not step into their own lives for doubt and for fear.  [00:06:24] You're used to to the uniform, but that should not be the reason why you stay. You should stay because it is the best expression of your strength and your power. 

"Here are the only numbers you need to consider:  just one out of six servicemembers stays in uniform long enough to earn a pension." --Doug Nordman & Curtez Riggs, Military Guide Here's the math in the military's new Blended Retirement System: An E-7 at 20 years makes about $21,000 a year in pension; An O-4 at 20 years makes about $36,000 a year in pension. Blended Retirement (BRS) will change the conversation about military service. Traditionally, there were four year gates members most considered whether to stay in or get out: Years 5, 10, 20, & 25. With the average retirement pay reducing about $10,000 a year across the board, that 10 year conversation will become even more important. Yes--we don't solely serve because of the salary. But, that salary will become even more important in transitioning. Because the "apples to apples" comparison between active duty retirement and post-military salary will change. And let's be honest--retirement pay will never go up. This 3-part series of posts goes into the math, meaning, & dice of military retirement pay. Today, let's talk about the math. SPONSOR If you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com SELECTED LINKS The Math. The DOD's Blended Retirement Pay calculator is here. http://militarypay.defense.gov/Calculators/BRS/  However, I say avoid that calculator, and use this one: http://militarypay.defense.gov/Calculators/RMC-Calculator/  Your comparison should be a salary to salary comparison, not a future potential retirement to today's salary. And compare WITHOUT all the taxed incentives, pays, and untaxed allowances. If you want to make $120,000/year after 10 years of service at a certain location, the second calculator will show you your true tax rate. Compare that with your level of military rank & salary. SHOW NOTES [00:00:40] The first tactic is simple but it's not easy. The first tactic is to Know Your Math. [00:04:43] There is no separation between pay and allowance after the uniform. You have to consider: how much do you want to make? How much makes you free? [00:06:15] Life has a barrier of entry. There are things that we want to do, that we want to enjoy doing. So what will they cost you? How much do you need to go to enjoy the lifestyle? DISCLAIMER I am not a Certified Financial Planner, or Accountant. Please consult one to weigh out tax risk & investment composition to be in the best position to choose when to transition.

"The best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out. Three years to build a reputation, build a permission asset, build a blog, build a following, build credibility and build the connections you'll need later." --Seth Godin Welcome to the Transition Tactics Podcast (TTP)! Yeah, I used the acronym heard everyday in the military. But I'm using it for a reason: To highlight how this blog is the best tactical resource to help military members choose and command their transition. This podcast extends what I proposed for transitioning veterans in my my book, Command Your Transition, and from my LinkedIn microcast "Reintegration Station"(20 episodes & counting!) The top reason to listen is to hear what led me to hitting publish. And what I intend to cover here that I wasn't able to cover in CYT. SPONSOR: None yet--but if you want to sponsor this podcast, send me an email: travis@battleandrhythm.com SELECTED LINKS: Level of Aspiration. You've heard me talk about level of aspiration before, especially when it comes to the "most powerful perspective" as I talked about in my book. Here's the thing: Not everyone wants to be in the top 1% of experts in the world in a specific craft of discipline. There's nothing wrong with being in the top 20%--but be honest at what level you want to operate, and the sacrifices & lifestyle you need to be at to get there. Two links regarding this: 37signals - Aspiration Pyramid Sebastian Marshall - Low Born v. High Born SHOW NOTES: [00:00:30] Every story has an origin. This podcast starts from publishing my second book "Command Your Transition" in April 2016. I published is as my own transition campaign plan, to retire early from the US Coast Guard in 2017. Unfortunately, TERA closed its doors. [00:02:58] Tactics give choice. They give honesty and  make you free because once you know the tactic they can go ahead and execute. Tactics are the closest to the point of execution that you need to succeed.  [00:04:18] When you transition, you are your own accountability and your own advocate for success. There's nothing to make you put the resumes in. Nothing to make you get the interviews. Nothing to make you live on Garrison.