We need to be hustling.

As much as I hate sports clichés and this will date me a little bit, but when I think of hustle, I think of Pete Rose.  Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” you may have seen in him in old clips bowling over the catcher at home plate or diving into second base for a double.  He just happened to end his career has the all-time leader in base hits for Major League Baseball.  It’s no coincidence that he got this record and hustled his a** off.  I think of most guys when they get to a team and walk into the team room for the first time.  They are hungry and eager to learn, to be accepted onto the team. Hopefully, they kept that attitude their entire career.  That same type of hustle is needed as you transition out of the Army.  

Hustle to build that network and grow your knowledge base.  A network just does not show up around you.  You have to make it.  Being hungry to learn about what you don’t know is how you close that information gap. Spend time each day learning about your new mission of transition and learning something new.  A great way to do this is developing your network and appreciating the diversity of thought.

Once you have developed a course of action for your future, hustle to make it a possibility.  Whether that is for a specific company or school, work your tail off to give yourself the best shot to land a spot there.  The harder you work, the more informed decision you can make. You will be better positioned to seal the deal and land your coveted position.  If it takes 100 phone calls, emails, coffee chats or meetings, that’s ok. However, it is going to require work and energy from you to keep swinging and not get down at the difficulty of the process.

When you wake up in the morning ask yourself, “How am I going to hustle today?”  Then kick your tail into gear and get to work.  Don’t be complacent or accept mediocrity.  Before you go to bed ask yourself, “How did I hustle today?”  If you can answer that question every day with a concrete answer, you will be successful.   

Originally posted in the Team Room at www.sf2biz.com