How to know where to start with planning your transition to civvy street

So, the decision had been made. You are leaving the military. It’s official.

Reality has set in and a mix of emotions have been coming and going. The thought of life on the outside has just become a very real prospect.

Cue the 101 questions running through your mind …

What is my next step?

What is to come?

What will I do for work?

Where will I live?

And on and on. The decisions that need to be made now seem endless, and rather than being helpful all of these questions actually have you stuck.

Stuck when it comes to knowing where to start.

Stuck when it comes to knowing what to do for the best.

Stuck when it comes to knowing where to ask for help.

The list goes on as you face these uncharted waters. 

And what initially seemed like an exciting prospect is suddenly tinged with overwhelm. An overwhelm that is getting in the way of you cracking on with planning for your new exciting life outside of the forces, which at this present moment feels like a prospect that is easier said than done!

Now, we all know that the military love a good acronym so it’s time to K.I.S.S and find a way forward to making a start on your transition planning with the help of this simple 3-step planning exercise.

1 - Sooner rather than later block out a time to think about what you want from your life in civvy street. Get in your diary. Make that time slot non-negotiable.

2 - When you sit down for this designated thinking time write down all the areas of your life that will be affected by leaving the military. Getting it out of your brain and down onto paper in black and white will help you to understand the bigger picture whilst breaking it down into focus points.

3 - The next step once you have identified those areas is to write down what you want them to look like once you are outside.

Are these 3 steps alone going to solve all your overwhelm in a oner?

Probably not.

Are they going to give you all the answers about how you can make this vision happen?

No.

But they will give you a great overview from which you can start to get your head around how you are going to make your life on the outside a place you are looking forward to hanging out in!

In conclusion, there is no doubt that making the move from military life to civilian life takes planning but there is no ‘1 size fits all’ magic formula when it comes to how to transition to the outside.

Everybodies wants, needs, experiences, and priorities are a combination as individual as the person themselves, but the key to how to know where to start with planning for your transition out of the forces to strip it back to basics.

Breaking down your life into its parts allows you to take an overview. 

By taking the time to create this life overview you will lay a considered foundation from which to springboard into your decision-making free from the paralysing overwhelm that can have you going nowhere fast when faced with a seemingly mammoth task.

Enabling you to crack on with creating a rounded life on civvy street that encompasses all of yours and your families needs.