Things the Military Teaches That School Never Did

THINGS THE MILITARY TEACHES THAT SCHOOL NEVER DID

LESSON 01: MAKE YOUR BED. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

TIGHT SHEETS, 45° HOSPITAL CORNERS. IN HIS FAMOUS SPEECH, A US NAVY ADMIRAL SAID: “IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, START OFF BY MAKING YOUR BED.” YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE DAY, DONE IN TWO MINUTES

LESSON 02: RANGER-ROLL YOUR CLOTHES

ROLL EACH OUTFIT INTO ITS OWN TIGHT BUNDLE. EVERYTHING FITS, NOTHING WRINKLES, AND YOU GRAB ONE ROLL INSTEAD OF DIGGING THROUGH YOUR WHOLE BAG

LESSON 03: BOX BREATHING

BREATHE IN FOR 4, HOLD FOR 4, OUT FOR 4, HOLD FOR 4. REPEAT. NAVY SEALS USE IT TO STAY CALM UNDER FIRE. YOU CAN USE IT BEFORE A BIG MEETING

LESSON 04: LAY OUT TOMORROW’S KIT TONIGHT

CLOTHES, KEYS, BAG, LUNCH, ALL READY BEFORE BED. YOUR MORNING SELF WAKES UP WITH ZERO DECISIONS TO MAKE

LESSON 05: EARLY IS ON TIME. ON TIME IS LATE

IN THE MILITARY, IF YOU’RE NOT 15 MINUTES EARLY, YOU’RE LATE. PEOPLE NOTICE WHO’S ALWAYS READY, AND IT BUILDS TRUST BEFORE YOU’VE SAID A WORD

LESSON 06: BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT (BLUF)

MILITARY EMAILS PUT THE CONCLUSION IN THE FIRST LINE. WHAT DO YOU NEED, AND BY WHEN? SAY IT FIRST. YOUR INBOX AND YOUR BOSS WILL THANK YOU

LESSON 07: LEARN THE PHONETIC ALPHABET

ALFA, BRAVO, CHARLIE, DELTA... SPELL YOUR NAME OVER A BAD PHONE LINE AND NEVER REPEAT YOURSELF AGAIN. FUN FACT: IT’S OFFICIALLY SPELLED “ALFA” AND “JULIETT” SO SPEAKERS OF EVERY LANGUAGE SAY THEM RIGHT

LESSON 08: TWO IS ONE. ONE IS NONE

IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE, YOU HAVE NONE THE MOMENT IT BREAKS. A SPARE CHARGER, KEY AND PEN SAVES YOUR DAY WHEN, NOT IF, SOMETHING FAILS

LESSON 09: THE MILITARY SLEEP METHOD

RELAX YOUR FACE, DROP YOUR SHOULDERS, LOOSEN YOUR ARMS AND LEGS, THEN PICTURE ONE CALM IMAGE FOR 10 SECONDS. A 1981 BOOK CLAIMED WWII PILOTS LEARNED TO FALL ASLEEP IN 2 MINUTES AFTER SIX WEEKS OF PRACTICE. SCIENCE HASN’T CONFIRMED THE 2 MINUTES, BUT RELAXATION TECHNIQUES LIKE THIS GENUINELY HELP