7 strategies to stay positive in your military (or in any) career

As you set out on your professional journey in the military, or in any field for that matter, it is easy to be overflowing with exuberant optimism, and brimming with the promise of a fulfilling career. Inevitably, though, reality sets in. The imagined adventures you’d foreseen for yourself all of a sudden give way to the daily realities of everyday service. Do paperwork? Sweep floors? Submit travel accounting? Go to another meeting? It is not necessarily what you imagined for yourself when you dreamed of joining the infantry, the fire service, or the Central Intelligence Agency.

And yet, there you will find yourself. All at once, your dream calling will seemingly become your everyday job. It is all too easy – and even common – at a certain point to let negativity start to creep in. You might get jaded, salty, or start grumbling about how things used to be five short years ago when you started out. That, my friends, is the road to misery.

When you find yourself starting to experience those feelings of negativity in your career, when it seems you cannot possibly bear 10 more years of the grind, try employing these seven strategies to help you stay positive and make things once again “new.” You might even fall in love with your chosen calling all over again.

1) Recall what brought you here in the first place

Teagen Ybarra, 8, the youngest Gladiators of Christ Ministries volunteer, passes out raffle tickets during the Serving Those Who Serve event at the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School barracks, June 5. In addition to the raffle, the event featured a DJ, mixed martial arts demonstration, free food, and a testimony from Luis Galdamez, an evangelist, and speaker. (Photo by Cpl. Ali Azimi/Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center)

When things seem bleak, frustrating, and too annoying, think back to when you first joined up, or sought out and secured the job you’ve got. Think back to what you loved about the idea of it, the excitement, the promise of opportunities to see the world, make a difference, or build something great. All of those opportunities are still there. Renew your love for the profession. Remember why you wanted to be there in the first place. Look yourself in the mirror and be proud of being there, having that calling. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who would love to be doing exactly what you are doing, but who could not for whatever reason. You are one of the lucky ones.

2) Find new opportunities within the organization

If it is all becoming just too tedious and repetitive for you in your current position, then branch out. If you’re in the military, think about changing units or your MOS. If your chain of command annoys you, seek out a position with a different boss. Request a transfer. Find a new role or a new field in the same career or workplace. No profession is so static and limited that it confines you to one specific job or role for your whole career. Seek out something fresh and embrace it.

Related: 7 careers on the Army jobs list to consider

3) Be a change agent

Readiness Challenge X 2024 winners. (Photo by Sgt. Tyler Morford/USAF)

If changing your role or transferring within the organization, is impossible then work positively to change the organization. Few professionals will ever complain about someone who sees a problem, thinks constructively about how to fix it, comes up with a plan, and then submits it for consideration. In fact, that is exactly what most bosses/supervisors want to see. It shows a commitment to the mission and indicates you are a professional with ideas about how to improve things. As a bonus, you might even be able to change some of those things that annoy you.

4) Give people the benefit of the doubt

One of the hardest things to do in life is to assume that everyone else has the same good intentions you do. You want to do the best you can at your job, make a difference, and accomplish the mission. Guess what? The odds are that your annoying immediate supervisor does, too. He or she might just have different ideas about the best way to do so. Generosity of spirit is hard. I get it, believe me. Plenty of people out there in the world are not going to be on your team. But don’t always assume the worst in the people with the same professional calling as you. Chances are, they quite literally are on your team. Find a way to respect them and build the kind of camaraderie you all deserve.

Related: These are the 7 roles required for the perfect team

5) Decentralize work in your life

U.S. Air Force Airmen play a game during the Community Game Night at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Sept. 19, 2024. Air Force Gaming ambassadors put on the event every third Thursday of each month. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class William Finn V)

Sometimes you’re just stuck in a moment in your career that you can’t seem to get out of. Things are not great, and you cannot seem to find that rhythm that makes you happy. If that’s the case, you’ve just got to get yourself together, and maybe focus more on your life outside work. You might have to refocus for a bit on what is truly important – family, your soul, your physical and mental health – and prevent your job from dominating your existence for a time. Chances are, if you are employing the other strategies listed here, then you will get out of this stormy moment, and things will improve. Until then, let the job just be a job for a bit. That’s ok, perfectly reasonable, and healthy even.

6) Remember, it could always be worse

No job is intrinsically better than any other but each job is a better or worse fit for each individual. Something brought you to your career in the first place. Something made you choose the profession. Hell, you were probably called to it at one point. Don’t forget that. You could always be doing that thing you did before you found your dream job, before you were called to a profession. You remember that old job? Yeah, we all had jobs like that. Keep perspective and remember you chose the path you’re on for a reason. If it is the wrong path, then step off of it, and make a change. Otherwise, buck up and soldier on.

7) Don’t be that guy

Finally, when all else fails, remember your bad attitude is sucking the life out of everyone. Don’t be that guy or girl. Find it in yourself to be a person who others want to be around. They – and you – will be far happier for it.

Feature Image: An Air Force Readiness Challenge X team, April 2024. (Photo by Sgt. Tyler Morford/U.S. Air Force)

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2024.

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