For the last week or so I have gotten up at 0530 with the exception of the few nights where I was unable to sleep until past midnight or daylight savings. (For these instances I give myself until 0630.) It has honestly been a struggle; there was one morning where I wrestled in my mind for about 10 minutes whether or not to get up or go back to sleep. I got up and felt better for it but I could have easily just gone back to sleep for an hour. I wouldn't have been able to work out then shower and I probably would have been rushed to breakfast. This morning time is extremely productive and I feel good knowing that I'm sticking to a schedule but doing this takes discipline. Even without waking up early, I still have to be at work at a certain time because I'm not in a position to retire yet. Even then the thought crossed my mind: If I could retire this young, would I wake up whenever? Would I bother to get another job? After all, if my finances were in order to do so, why work?
This question led me to think of the billionaires of the world and I narrowed it down to 2 examples. Both of whom are admirable in their own respective fields: Bill Gates and Elon Musk. Bill Gates of course struck it lucky when he went into the software/GUI market in the early days and Elon Musk with his history with PayPal and the future with Telsa, SpaceX and the Boring Company. These two are prime candidates of what discipline looks like and I'll tell you why. At any moment in time, for the last several decades, either of these men could have hung in the towel with their first couple million/billion dollars and said "I've worked hard these last years and I'm ready to retire and just relax. Do what I want to do etc.". The thing is they didn't and they continue work. Bill Gates isn't the head of Microsoft any more but he continues to advise and runs his own philanthropic endeavors to this day, which must be fairly difficult given his massive amount of wealth to distribute. Don't forget that the man is 65 years old and has more than enough reason to sit on his wealth and eat 3-star michelin meals every day. Truly his contributions to the world are almost unrivaled. Elon Musk runs 3 different companies. In an interview with Joe Rogan, Elon says that he works about 16 hours a day and sleeps 6 hours a day. Sometimes he works the same schedule on the weekends. Elon has a family and young kids, he could just quit and spent his life with his family in a nice house on unfathomable acreage in peace. Why does he continue to work so hard?
Both of these men had something in common. They each had a "Why" behind what they did. In a TedX talk I listened to (I can't remember the name of the speaker.) the speaker went on to say that really successful organizations had a what they did, how they were going to do it and more importantly a why they were going to do it. Elon Musk wants to colonize mars and make the world a more eco-friendly place by selling electric cars at affordable prices. Bill Gates wanted to revolutionize the world with his software. (Side note, imagine for a minute what the world would be like without Bill Gates. Imagine if this pioneer gave up before hitting it big.) I came to recruiting duty with a why and I didn't know it. My why was because I wanted to change young kids lives and give them opportunities they may not have had. The Army is a great organization and has a lot to offer beyond what the recruiters sell. If I could go back the only thing I would do differently is change my job coming into the Army but I wouldn't join any other branch of service nor skip out on military completely.
I know my why for recruiting and so far remembering that when it gets tough has gotten me through. I don't have a why for being a medic in the Army though. I've spent 7 years in the Army as a medic so far and I realized within the last two years something was wrong. I don't have a why and that is why I seek alternatives to the current job I have. I really would like to reclass to chaplain assistant and am trying rather hard to figure out how. There are a few other paths I could take but I know that I can't stay on the medic path. There is no why behind it so there will be no success and more importantly no satisfaction. I wouldn't mind staying a recruiter because I have a why but I'd prefer to change lives in a more spiritual capacity for a living if at all possible.
Anyhow, I wish I had the discipline of these two men. they truly exercise in the most obstinate way possible and I don't think anyone gives them credit for it. I can say that it would be a struggle every day to not throw in the towel and coast given that option. I will continue to ponder these men and others in order to understand what else drives them. The why behind what they do is merely a statement, but what ideas are leading them on day by day as they trudge through unknown territory in full view of the rest of the world. Do they even care we are watching? That's enough questions for now. I have much more to think about silently.