Getting Your Own Drill Sergeant

Anyone who was in the military will recall the drill sergeants (a.k.a. drill instructors).

Although Hollywood has done much to create an image of order-barking robots, I found 99% of the drill sergeants to be extraordinary. I especially recall these characteristics:

They knew their stuff. They didn't tell you to run; they ran with you. They went over key points until everyone understood. They never forgot the mission. And - something Hollywood usually misses - they knew when to back off. [The old line that they tear you down and then rebuild you has some truth, but it also means the basic parts of "you" are left.]

It would be ideal if we could serve as our own drill sergeants but many of us require an external push; someone who regularly reviews how we're doing and where we're going and tells us, in words of one syllable, when we are marching into a swamp. In short, we need an experienced perspective from someone who knows how easily things can go wrong.

That "drill sergeant" may be a friend, a relative, or some blunt-talking geezer at work who won't hesitate to say, "That part will work, this item is great, but what the hell were you thinking when you came up with this?"

If you are at all open to getting outside guidance, you'll know when they're making sense.