I didn’t think I deserved a better life. But my undying perseverance got the best of me. The words have repeated in my head daily for over two decades, “one foot in front of the other”. A gift I had received in my military training.
In the last 18 years I’ve learned A LOT.
And that’s what I’m here to share with you today. I’ve condensed 18 years worth of experience, coaching, and education into a 12 week training program.
Approaching my life after the military from the perspective of “optimization” has allowed me to deliberately sift through mountains of information, and years of suffering in order to find the methods that truly work.
I was not happy with getting to baseline. And little did I know that baseline is where I needed to get first. And once I was there I saw how much more I could go.
This means you don’t have to wade through all the BS to find out what works and what doesn’t. I’ve done the research for you and KNOW exactly what kind of coaching, education, and experiences will move the needle for you.
The transition from service member to civilian is one of the toughest things a person can do. And there’s evidence of that. Veterans experience a much higher rate of obesity, chronic illness, mental health problems, and suicide than the general population.
And not just by a little, it’s a LOT.
Dare I say that less than 1% of the veterans get out and crush it. We know who they are. Those men and women get a lot of attention, but the rest just become a statistic.
I’m not here to be a statistic. Are you?
So why do some of the most highly trained people on the planet fail to meet mediocre standards in the civilian world? It’s because the level of training and indoctrination that was used to train you for war, was NOT applied to preparing you for civilian life. Yes, there are some crossover skills and mindset, but the context in which those things do best no longer apply.
If you are like me, you got 2 weeks of training before you got out and it consisted of writing a resume and learning how to take advantage of VA benefits (glorified welfare). And who teaches that class? People that work for the government. They have no clue what it actually takes to be off the teet and live a fulfilling life.
Veterans are told the story that the VA will be able to take care of all their needs. But the truth is, unless you’re buying a house, going to college, or getting a prosthetic, the VA has no idea how to serve you.
They’re totally incapable. And it’s not the fault of those working there. I imagine that most people mean well. They simply don’t have the tools. The bureaucratic nature of that organization only becomes more overburdened by the day. And it’s not getting better.
Now, I could do what so many other people do and lobby government systems in hopes of real change only to get slight adjustments, OR we could just take this upon ourselves.
Why would we leave your personal success in the hands of the government? Say it out loud. “MY PERSONAL SUCCESS IS IN THE HANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT”.
Does it sound LUDICROUS? If your answer is yes, then we’re getting off on the right foot here.
I think you already know, but I need to say it. Your personal success is ONLY in your own hands. Always has been and always will be. Anything else is an illusion. How you think, feel, and behave is your responsibility. Nobody can take that from you. You can only give it away. And most do. Those are the 99% that fail to meet mediocre standards.
Hearing that may sound like great news to you. It also may feel daunting. Both are acceptable.
We start with a few foundational principles. Then we put those principles into practice in real time. In just 12 weeks you can develop yourself into the type of person who excels at whatever you choose to do in life. It doesn’t mean everything gets easy, but you have the chance to get a hold of your life and turn it into something that’s more meaningful than your military career ever was.
I’ve taken 18 years of struggle. 16 years of entrepreneurship. A decade of focused personal development work. Coaches, leadership training, emotional development programs. Trips into the jungle to drink ayahuasca. Cold therapy and sweat lodges. If I heard it was good I tried it. The total I invested in all this is over $300k in developmental programs alone.
And I paid it out of my own pocket. Lucky for me I was able to crack the money code 5 years after I got out (flat broke before that).
You could do that too. It’s quite an adventure. But for everything that worked, there were things I tried that only worked partially. And there’s quite a bit I would leave out so I could focus on the things that got me the biggest bang for my buck.
You could spend the next 18 years just saying yes to whatever came along, hoping it would improve your life.
Or you could join us at The Mission After to systematically leverage the training and mindset you’ve already obtained and apply it to being the best civilian you can possibly be.
We’re not meant to come home and just sit in a rocking chair watching TV. Going to a job to just get a paycheck, passing the time.
We’re meant to be leaders. Our society needs us more than ever and we’re capable. We just need the right tools to get there.
WE are optimizing the veteran experience.
YOU get to optimize your personal experience.
One life. Let’s make it count.
Yours in service,
Mike Bledsoe