Only YOU can define what success looks like
It is important to note the following. No one’s transition out of the military is every going to look the same as someone else’s. We each have our own unique skills, talents, constraining factors, and goals.
What is the point of all of this? Simple.
Only YOU can determine if you are happy and successful. You can not compare your level of “success” or “happiness” to anyone else you know. Comparing yourself to another person is not even a useful metric. As an example, say your friend is an investment banker with lots of prestige and power. You might feel jealous at their success.
But life is full of trade offs. The trade off he makes is that he works 100 hours a week in a demanding job and has no family or does not spend a lot of time with them. For someone else, they may not value the same the benefits of “prestige and power”. They just want to hang out with their kids and take a vacation to the beach. So for them that Investment Banker lifestyle would be a living hell. The point is, there is no right answer nor right timeline.
Ask yourself the following questions, write them down. Let your brain work on them for a week. You will be surprised at what pops into your head
What makes me happy?
What are the core values that define me?
What is the lifestyle that I want?
What interests me?
What is best for my family?
You might also not know the answer to these questions, and maybe you get competing answers. THAT IS OK. You will not be locked into a certain career path. It is always possible to pivot and change your life drastically if you want too.
For example, it was always a goal of mine to live in a large city and not the suburbs. My wife and I have done this with our kids for almost 5 years now. While we greatly enjoy the city, we could also see ourselves living in the suburbs or a smaller city. Our quality of life would be about the same, because our needs and wants have changed. We have to focus on our kids and career, and that can be tough in a city environment.
As you explore the rest of this website, please keep that thought in mind. Your life can and will change, what you value now will probably change in the future.