Transition To Civilian Life: Part 1 – Self-Reflection

As you begin to transition to Civilian life, it can be a complex and challenging process.

It takes time to learn how to understand, adjust and successfully navigate your way into what can initially feel like a new operational area with no internal map to guide you. Here are a few self-reflective steps that may guide you forward in this process to transition to Civilian life:

What is your WILL to change?

• How serious are you about wanting to create change needed to transition to Civilian life?
• What can you identify  inside yourself that could impact on you progressing forward?
• What are the external factors that could impact on you progressing forward?
• In what way is your goal aligned with your values?
• What are the costs (to yourself and others around you) in creating this change?
• What are you willing to do to deal with the costs and how would this look?
• What are you currently tolerating that requires changing in order for you to progress forward?

What is your ability like to ADJUST and ADAPT?

• What are the factors, challenges and situations that you may need to adjust and adapt to?
• What are your strengths and habits that you can draw on from where you currently are and who you are?
• In what ways could these impact on you?
• What would you need to put in place to ensure effective adaptation?
• What would be the first three challenges facing you?
• What would you do as the first step in progressing towards and meeting your goal?
• How do you plan on sustaining a positive and constructive forward momentum?
• How do you cope when frustrated or angry with others and situations?
• What would you need to work on that could impact negatively on your transition to Civilian life?

What is your RESPECT like for others and yourself?

• Identify your core strengths?
• What could impact on you adjusting to civilian mindsets both personally and professionally?
• What may your challenges be in adapting to others who do not hold the same or conflicting values?
• List qualities you value in Civilians?
• List qualities that frustrate you with Civilians?
• What do you feel you would be losing in your transition from Warrior to Civilian?
• Why would you be losing these?
• In what ways could you reclaim this?

What is your RESPONSIBILITY to yourself like?

• What can you identify that will support you to self-care and effectively pace yourself in order to transition to Civilian life?
• What are you currently tending to neglect with regard to self-care and well-being?
• What can you put in place to resolve this?

What is your INTEGRITY like?

• What are your core values and habits?
• What are the core values and habits that you expect from others?
• What are you currently not respecting about yourself right now?
• How do you cope with those that hold values that conflict with yours?
• What do you need to identify within yourself and learn from to adjust your behaviours towards others and transition to Civilian life?

How OBSERVANT rather than reactive are you?

• How do you react to situations that do not meet your expectations?
• How do you react to others that do not meet your expectations?
• What do you need to identify in order to manage these situations and others more effectively?

Are you willing to attempt to REPAIR negative relationships with others and yourself?

• In your transition to Civilian life, what are possible factors that could trigger you?
• How have you reacted in the past when in similar territory?
• What will be challenging for you to adjust and adapt to?
• What do you feel you can manage yourself?
• What might you require support and mentoring for?
• Who can you identify that can support you with this?

Barry Zworestine

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