Finding your unique purpose is one of life’s deepest desires. While in uniform, the military likely provided you with that sense of purpose. You might even feel like that was your life’s purpose. But there is more. Your life is not over because your service is. Rather, you are turning a page, or starting a new chapter in your life story and for once in a long time, it is blank – and that can feel both exciting and scary. It is completely normal to experience an array of emotions AND it is critical that you don’t get ‘stuck’ due to fear or overwhelm.

Call to Action: Register for the Dare to Dream: Live the Life You Love workshop. This virtual four-session experience will help you discover your purpose and give you the courage to pursue it. Supported TMN article: MOAA - What’s Your ‘Why’ for Life After Uniformed Service?

Question: I have been out of uniform for some time now and still have not found a good career fit – what am I doing wrong?

Answer: The short answer is ‘nothing.’ This could just be the journey to what’s next and it is taking longer than you expected or desired. Or you could be pursuing roles that do not speak to your strengths which are different than skills. For example, you may be really good at processing lots of information or diving into spreadsheets – but if you feel drained after doing so, or dread the thought of doing those things, they are simply skills, not strengths. A strength is an activity that gives you energy. Recall a time when you loved your job. What were the actual activities you were doing? Or, think about the last time you lost track of time (at work or not), or forget to eat because you were so engrossed in something – what were you doing? That is where your strengths and passion lie.