Priorities of Work

In the U.S. Army Infantry, after you establish a patrol base or secure perimeter, you begin priorities of work.

It always starts with weapons maintenance. Without that, in a combat environment, you are a liability to everyone. So you start by ensuring that your team’s weapon systems are clean, functioning properly and ready.

Next is hygiene. Change your socks. Shave your face so the gas mask seals better. Repair or replace anything with holes. For the love of Chrysler, brush your teeth- your breath stinks and your team can’t afford you going down for a dental emergency.

After that is food. You probably haven’t eaten in awhile and you’re burning 6,000 calories a day. Treat yourself to an MRE cracker with jalapeño cheese spread- you earned it.

If, and only if, you and everyone else on your team has completed the above tasks, can you rest. By rest I mean lay down in a dirt “Ranger Grave” you dug earlier that is half full of water and sleep while your buddy continues to pull security. Then trade off every hour so he can sleep as well.

Glamorous isn’t it? All that and a check for $1,900 a month before deductions?

But I digress…

Oh yea, where am I going with this to where I can hopefully provide value for you…

You need to establish priorities of work in your life, and you need to do it in order of importance, and it’s not glamorous.

You need to maintain your equipment so you can operate at 100%. Your health, your mindset, your happiness. Maintain that, or you are of little benefit to anyone that needs you.

You need to maintain your hygiene. Shower, wash your clothes, brush your hair, don’t wear joggers out of the house, and brush your teeth. By hygiene I also mean mental too. Speak good to yourself. Meditate. Read. Stay off social media.

So now, if you have accomplished all those other tasks above, can you rest. But don’t fully rest if it puts your partner out. You need to balance the security to 50/50. Rest is a luxury that is not a necessity.

In short, take care of you. Be the best version of you that you can be in all facets…

So you can be the person they need you to be when it matters.

If you don’t make priorities, everything becomes secondary and out of sequence. No one wins.

Take care of your health.

Take care of your hygiene.

Brush your damn teeth.

Do it for your “team”

Do it for yourself.

#DOTHEWORK