The 'secret' of success in today's Air Force isn't a secret after all

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. James Johnson
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief master sergeant
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  In talking with groups, virtually any group, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is “Chief, what’s the secret to making Chief”?

Normally you can hear a pin drop as the audience waits for some juicy insight, some previously unshared nugget of information, something, anything to give them the belief that they too can achieve what so many have already attained.

You can feel the electricity in the air, then hear the audible sigh of frustration when you share the secret with everyone. The secret is, there is no secret!

Most see that as a let down. However, it’s quite the opposite. Those things held secret mean that only the chosen few who “break the code” will ever win the prize. The very fact there is no secret means everyone has an equal opportunity.

But here’s the real kicker. It’s actually the wrong question! The question shouldn’t be, “How do you make Chief?” The question should be, “What do I need to do to be successful.” That’s a much more insightful and much easier question, to answer. And the answer is (are you ready?): discipline; more specifically, self-discipline.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Self-discipline -- big deal! How can that be the answer to success?

"Sure I can take charge of myself, but it’s everyone else who prevents me from being successful -- that terrible supervisor, that unfair work schedule, that ______" (you fill in the blank because everyone has a different reason).

But peel it back and look at it again. Is it really the supervisor, or the work schedule or whatever your “fill-in-the-blank” answer might have been? Or is it that whatever “it” is hasn’t become important enough to you to find the self-discipline to overcome the obstacle.

Now, before you say “forget this” and stop reading, think about it! Self-discipline goes hand-in-hand with priorities, right? Routinely, if something is important, you find time for it, somehow, someway, even amidst a busy schedule.

So the next tough question is what’s “more” important, cracking those career development courses and learning your skill better than anyone else or tossing it aside and playing in that video game tourney? It’s a matter of self-discipline and choice, isn’t it?

How about physical fitness? Should I hit the gym or catch the latest movie? Hmmm… self-discipline and choice again!

I should really work on finishing my college degree as well, but then again, that would really screw up softball season. Yep, you got it, self-discipline and choice. Do you see a pattern?

So you see, success is simple! It’s up to you -- up to the self-discipline you exhibit once you set your priorities. It may not be the easiest road, or the most fun at the time, but it will pay off.

Here’s the best part, success is addictive. After you feel the satisfaction of success, you want to keep feeling it. Once you complete one goal, you move on to the next, and the next.

Success breeds success. So start the journey; find your inner strength required to apply self-discipline to the priorities that you set. And set your goals high. Now get going and I’ll see you at the top!