My Favorite Military Habit: Waking Up Early

November, 2019

Veterans in parking (ViP) is a prodigious organization that has the devotion of members who all have one goal in mind: to help our veterans. 

Although there are many reasons why I joined ViP, the most important was that I served and continue to serve as a reservist in the Air Force. I believe the skills learned in the military are vital to a disciplined lifestyle. This disciplined lifestyle helps me in all aspects of life. My personal two favorite returns from being in the military have been: working in a team and waking up early. (Yes, waking
up early!)

Teamwork is imperative. If you don’t trust each other or cannot depend on one another, sooner or later the team will diminish. In the military, each individual is from a different background (i.e. religion, socioeconomic, lifestyles, etc.), but when individuals join the military, they go from being one person to becoming part of a collaborative team that prepares to accomplish a mission. 

Your background is not usually taken into consideration when you join a team, instead it’s what you personally can bring to the team, your attitude, your belief system and your thoughts and/or opinions. It’s all about coming together and accomplishing the mission at hand. The same goes for the corporate world, coming together for the good of your organization. Being part of an organization, whether small or big, you make a difference. Every person, from the frontline staff to the VP roles, has an impact to and on the company. 

One of my favorite habits that the military instills in you is to wake up early. It has created in me the habit of waking up between 4:30/5:00. This started in boot camp, but I was fortunate enough to continue this habit with my everyday civilian life. Waking up early allows me to get a good grasp on my day. I begin by visiting the gym and getting myself energized. After I do this, I know I can then focus and prepare myself for the workday. 

Waking up early gives me extra time to work on myself by allowing me time for me, with a coffee in hand to write my goals and evaluate my daily progress. Waking up early also lets me communicate with my clients (or potential clients) in the East Coast, since I am in the West Coast. When an organization hires a veteran, they won’t be disappointed by excuses such as, “I am tired” or “I had a late night.” Veterans know how to get the job done and they will show up no matter what the circumstances may be. 

I believe in Veterans in Parking. I believe in the program and what it stands for. As soon as the program was launched, I was a 100 percent in and wanted to commit myself to the success of this program. I encouraged my employer, Onestop Parking, to be a sponsor of this program. We know this program is for a good cause and we wanted to offer our immediate assistance. Because of my employer’s commitment, I am able to attend conferences and job fairs to get the word out about ViP. 

I believe that the skills our veterans have are hard to find in today’s fast-paced world. Veterans bring a lot to the table. Here are some qualities that come to mind: passion, dedication, hunger, discipline, working under stressful situations, and leadership. These skills are vital in the corporate world. 

It is easy to get stressed out when things aren’t going right in your organization, but the skills veterans have developed allow us to remain calm and have laser focus on making the right decisions for every situation. 

Above all other reasons, I want to help our fellow veterans. I have seen veterans who struggle to find job/careers after they transition out of service. The transitioning process is difficult for some. Many of the jobs are not transferrable in the civilian world. Although the military resume may seem very lengthy and detailed with all the accomplishments earned while serving, some recruiters or hiring managers may not understand the terminology or the impacts of those bullet points on the squadron’s mission. 

I try to speak to many of the veterans to see how they can shape their resume to make it more understandable for those who have not served in the armed forces. This is a working progress. 

I firmly believe, ViP is a great cause that is of the people, by the people, for the people. 

Mo Singh is in National Business Development OneStop Parking. He can be reached at mo.singh@onestopparking.com. He is currently a Tech Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves serving from 2011 to Present in the San Francisco Bay area.