“You maggots are going to be strong or you’re going to be smart!”

Senior Drill Instructor Sgt. Dozier – Parris Island, SC

Every single time, any one of us United States Marine Corps recruits of platoon 1012, failed to complete a task correctly and/or on time, we paid the piper (and the piper was the cadre of Drill Instructors).  The preferred currency was usually push-us, bends and thrusts, mountain climbers, flutter kicks, and a medieval torture derivative, called “watching TV” (which included planking on your elbows and reaching out with one hand to change the channel on command).

Whenever one of us didn’t perform to standard, all of us paid the price.  When this happened (multiple times daily, especially early on in the training cycle), the Senior Drill Instructor would say to us, “You maggots are going to be strong or you’re going to be smart!”  The “punishment” for failing to perform to standard, was designed to actually bring us closer to meeting that seemingly elusive standard.  He would go on to explain to us, while we were “paying”, the mechanics and fundamentals of whatever we screwed up.

I still inflict this punishment upon myself, whenever I don’t perform to standard.  Why? Because it’s effective, very effective.  I don’t owe myself many push-ups these days, because I decided to get smart, and just give my best effort, all the time.  Of course, I’m strong too, because giving my best effort starts with being fit and healthy.

I encourage you to discipline yourself to perform to standard, in every area of life.  If you don’t, you will eventually pay the piper.  And the piper usually isn’t demanding push-ups.  Outside of Parris Island, the piper gets paid in loss of promotion, loss of health, loss of finances and loss of relationships.  If proper nutrition and fitness isn’t performed to standard, for example, the piper will ultimately crush you with debilitating conditions, including blocked arteries, high blood pressure, and diabetes.  The same holds true of performance in your career, your spending habits, your relationships, and on and on.

Be strong and be smart, do both!

Boo Yah!