If you’ve ever spent anytime serving in the military, there are few things all military branches have in common, such as their focus on timeliness, cleanliness and their use of acronyms. Over the years, I’ve shared a few with you, like STRAC: Skilled Tough Ready Around the Clock and Charlie Mike: Continue Mission. Of course, there is another used all the time: SEAL–Sea Air and Land. I have a new one that I want to share and it’s perfect for the kick-off of 2019: Alpha Mike.
Originally used in Vietnam and usually spoken late at night over the radio, Alpha Mike was code for “Adios Mother F@*ker”–a dark-humor term for saying goodbye to an enemy, miserable locale or both. But here’s another way to use it and one that I like to use when starting a new “mission” as in starting on new goals in a New Year: All in–Move out. That’s what it takes to get after it–to go all in and then move toward your goal daily. New Years are laden with new resolutions that rarely turn into reality. People lose steam–they give up on their dreams too early, and that happens, in part, because they don’t see the progress–instead they direct their focus on the obstacle. Over a really short period of time, the obstacle conquers them–overpowering their beliefs to achieve their goal. Energy then gets re-directed on creating excuses for not achieving their goal.
Alpha Mike is your acronym for starting each day. Committing to All in–Move out. No matter what your goal you must do two simple things: commit and take action–that’s what Alpha Mike stands for. To go “All in” is to commit your action platform (mental, emotional and physical) to work toward your goal. To “Move out” is to make actions toward your goal happen. All the talk in the world doesn’t take the place of a single action. Nothing ever got achieved by simply talking about it.
On this day, January 1, 2019, commit yourself to making this year your best year yet. Dream audaciously and live like each day is a gift….because it is and it’s up to you to make your life what you want it to be. No excuses.
Alpha Mike in 2019!
Alden