Anyone else want to know what they are going to do for the rest of their life? Or, better yet, what their life will mean when it is all said and done?
Hello, my name is Jayson Downing and I would officially like to have a plan for the rest of my life, please! What exactly do I mean by this?
I would rather have a vague idea of what I wish to accomplish with my time here on this blue/green little ball, instead of wandering around hopelessly and aimlessly. Yes. One of these options certainly seems like a better option than the other?
Can I get an “Amen” from anyone else here in the audience?
Podcast
This is exactly the idea that I discussed with Stuart Jackson, a.k.a. The Sheepdog Dad, in our conversation together on his podcast.
In this discussion, we explored a variety of topics, including Social Media and whether or not it is a positive force for society, the positive steps that a person can take every day to develop and train their own warrior spirit, and the role that Commander’s Intent plays in military mission planning (and also life planning as well).
For the full and complete discussion, I highly recommend listening to the podcast, but the idea of Commander’s Intent is one that I would like to discuss in this week’s blog post.
Commander’s Intent
Commander’s Intent is a concept that is discussed at length in Marine Corps training. It is part of a mission planning process and is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF A MISSION STATEMENT.
Here is an example of a mission statement: Squad 1, your mission is to clear and hold Objective A in order to secure a safe patrol route for the supply convoy.
This mission statement actually has 2 parts: A Mission, and a Commander’s intent. Here is how you know which is which. Everything that comes BEFORE the “in order to” is the Mission…and everything that comes after the “in order to” is the Commander’s Intent.
The Commander’s Intent is the WHY of the mission. And, it is important to include in the mission briefing for a number of reasons.
Number 1
If you are going to ask your Marines to risk their lives on a mission, then you at least owe them the reason for WHY they are risking their lives. Marines are good at what they do, but we are not drones. We are not mindless automatons. So, if you want us to accomplish a mission for you, tell us why the mission is important, and we will see that it gets done.
Number 2
The Commander’s Intent allows for decision making to be made at the lowest possible level of leadership. In football, this concept is equivalent to a quarterback “calling an audible” once he sees the enemy defense.
Scenario
Let’s run through a quick scenario to demonstrate this point. Imagine that Squad 1 is tasked with the mission statement above, but, when they arrive on target, they find that the building that is Objective A is empty of enemy combatants. Easy day right? Should they just pack up and go home?
Well, imagine that the Objective A is empty, but only because the enemy forces are ACTUALLY next door in an adjacent building. The squad leader knows that his mission was to clear and hold Objective A, but he ALSO knows that the COMMANDER’S INTENT was to secure the patrol route nearby for the supply convoy. If he secures his objective but fails to protect the patrol route, then he has ultimately failed.
By communicating the commander’s intent, his leadership has allowed the Squad leader to pivot in real time and order his squad to clear and hold Objective B instead of Objective A.
This type of thinking allows for quicker decision making at the ground level and more fluid and effective operations.
What about Real Life?
Now, let’s ask another question: what role does this military idea of COMMANDER’S INTENT have for me in my own life, outside of the realm of physical warfare. This is EXACTLY the question that Stuart and I discussed on his podcast last week.
This concept came up when we were discussing my plans for next year. I am currently in the process of working through my Strategic plan for next year. This strategic plan is the list of goals that I wish to accomplish. It is my vision for the future. It aligns with my long-term goals for my life and takes into account my soul purpose and my values.
I need to stop here and give a special shoutout to Todd Durkin from Fitness Quest 10, one of my personal mentors, who has put together the Strategic Plan workbook that I am currently using. It is simply the best workbook for its purpose that I have ever found!
Now, someone might stop me here with a question: what about when unexpected things happen in life? What is the use of planning for the future when we cannot predict the future? As the old adage goes: if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plan.
This is an EXCELLENT QUESTION. Allow me to answer in 3 parts.
Even though we can never fully predict the future, I have still found 3 HUGE advantages to taking the time to sit down and develop a COMMANDER’S INTENT for your year and for your life.
Number 1: Commander’s Intent provides FOCUS!
How many of us wish that we could have a little more focus in our lives? Or….Let me ask the question another way. How many of us are SUPER busy almost every single day, but many times feel as though all of our busyness is actually accomplishing almost NOTHING significant at the end of the day?
For the record, I am definitely raising my hand in answer to BOTH of these questions.
The cure for this feeling is to focus your attention and efforts on what I call the “needle movers.” What are those BIG things in your life that will TRULY make big changes. According to the pareto principle, we know that 80% of the results in your life come from 20% of your actions. So, what are those 20% actions???
The ONLY way that you can answer this question is if you know what goals you are actually trying to accomplish.
Otherwise it ALL becomes white noise.
A Commander’s Intent helps to provide focus for your limitless possibility of action. It tells you what activities are important and what are not.
Number 2: Commander’s Intent gives a WHY
We discussed this topic when discussing military maneuvers, but I believe that having a WHY in your life is just as important OFF the battlefield as it is on the battlefield.
Modern psychology informs us that without a WHY in life, we simply cannot have positive emotion. Positive emotion flows from the perception that we are moving closer and closer to accomplishing our goals. This is a concept that I discuss in detail in my upcoming book in my chapter on TRUTH.
What does this mean??? It means that YOU NEED TO HAVE GOALS! Goals give you the WHY in your life. They connect with your deeper meaning. They stem from your life purpose. THEY ARE THE REASON WHY YOU EXIST ON THIS BLUE-GREEN BALL THAT WE CALL EARTH.
When you hit rough patches in your life (NOT “IF”, BUT “WHEN”), it is the WHY in your life that will keep you going. And, the only way that you can have a WHY is if you have goals. And, the only way to have goals, is to take the time to intentionally set them up.
As we head into this New Year, take the time to set up some goals in your life. Develop a Commander’s Intent for at least the next year. You will be surprised at how effective you can live your life when you have a compelling WHY.
Number 3: Commander’s Intent Minimizes Deviations
This last point is very important. It refers to the point that I made earlier, about unexpected changes that will occur in the future.
Without a doubt, there will be unexpected changes to your plan in the future. Some will be random occurrences in the unknown universe. Some will be the fault of others. Some will be due to your own failings and poor decision making.
But, having a plan gives you a rock, an anchor, to come back to when those unexpected changes occur. When you need to make a new plan, a Commander’s Intent gives you the WHY for the new plan. This overarching why will help to minimize the deviations from your intended destination.
Just as a ship guided by the north star will be more accurate than one with no bearing, so too will a life guided by a Commander’s Intent be more steady than one without.
Conclusion
In closing, I hope that you all enjoy this final week in the lead up to Christmas. But, before you all get befuddled with food and drink, take some time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas that I wrote about here. And….take some time to make a plan for your next year.
Your future self with thank you.
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Jayson Downing is a former Marine Corps Captain and now works as a business owner, author, writer, speaker and podcaster dedicated to helping people find the Warrior Spirit inside of themselves.
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