3 Key Lessons From the Military That Can Help You Succeed in Life

I often study and draw inspiration from various sources to help my clients perform at their best. One area that provides a wealth of insight into peak performance is the military. There are many lessons we can learn from the military to help us perform better in all areas of our lives. In this article, I share three key lessons that we can take from military and apply to our own lives to enhance our performance and achieve more.

Conditioned Responses:

Conditioned responses, also known as trained responses, are automatic behavioural patterns that kick in when a specific trigger occurs. In military training, soldiers are trained to respond automatically to certain situations, such as taking cover when they hear gunfire, falling into a specific formation when they are doing an ambush or administering first aid to a wounded comrade. By anticipating situations that they are likely to encounter, and then practicing specific responses repeatedly, soldiers develop muscle memory or conditioned responses that kicks in during these stressful situations. As the 7th century philosopher Archilochus said, "We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training".

Conditioned responses are in essence specific behavioural patterns that kicks in when triggered – if ‘a’ occurs then it automatically triggers ‘b’. I often use this technique with my clients, especially the professional athletes when building a pregame routine. We often pair a specific song with powerfully motivating memories that trigger a specific state or mental frame that is conducive to heightened performance. 

We can apply this concept in our own lives by thinking through worst-case scenarios and practicing our responses in advance. By doing so, we develop a sense of familiarity and confidence that allows us to respond quickly and effectively. 

Simulating real-life:

Military training often involves simulating real-life scenarios to help soldiers develop a sense of familiarity and self-efficacy. By creating training scenarios that closely mimic real combat environments, soldiers can draw on that experience and feel more confident in their abilities when they find themselves in a similar situation in the field.

I recall a coaching session I had with an individual who was in the process of completing his training in the British marines. He told me about how he hated the ‘wet and dry drill’, which is training method that involves soldiers being required to wear their wet uniforms during training exercises in extreme cold weather. The idea behind this method is to train soldiers to cope with adverse weather conditions and to build mental and physical resilience, so that they are better equipped to handle similar challenging conditions in the field. 

We can apply this concept in our own lives when preparing for high stakes and high-pressure situations, through asking ourselves how we can simulate similar conditions to the real-life situation when we are practicing. For example, when preparing for an important presentation you can imagine your presentation not going smoothly – perhaps imagining the audience playing on their phones or having conversations amongst themselves, or making a mistake and getting nervous – how do you regain control and still deliver a powerful presentation? Practicing for your presentation while adding these potential real-life scenarios and the appropriate responses can help build your confidence and allow you to skilfully respond should these situations arise. 

Compartmentalizing:

Compartmentalizing refers to the ability to focus on the task at hand and block out distractions. In military training, soldiers must be able to focus on their mission, even when surrounded by chaos and noise.

I recall a podcast interview I did with a former snipper in the Australian military about his deployment to a war zone. He said that compartmentalizing was a valuable tool when he was out in the field; he could not allow himself to think about his family or about not making it home as this would interfere with his ability to perform his duties. Instead he would simply put those thoughts into ‘a box’ and focus on his mission.  

This ability to compartmentalize is a valuable skill in all areas of life. We all face distractions and external pressures, whether it's at work or in our personal lives. Think about having a disagreement with your spouse in the morning before an important meeting. This disagreement has now influenced your mood, and if you are not deliberate about breaking this mood and changing your state then it will likely negatively impact your meeting. In this case, being able to block out the disagreement and it's associated emotions, will allow you to be fully present and focus on meeting the objectives of the meeting.

Compartmentalizing is especially useful in sales, because the best salespersons can be rejected and then quickly approach the next prospect without carrying the weight of their previous rejections. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can learn valuable lessons from the military to enhance our performance and achieve more in all areas of our lives. The three key takeaways are conditioned responses, simulating real-life scenarios, and compartmentalizing. By practicing and developing these skills, we can improve our ability to respond effectively in challenging situations, build confidence, and maintain focus on the task at hand. Applying these principles to our lives can help us perform at our best and achieve our goals, both in personal and professional realms. As the saying goes, "We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.