Future Proof E-Book

Jordan Wylie

• Herausgeber: Biteback Publishing
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 124

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the complexity and pressures of life? Being young and looking forward can be a daunting experience. The good news is, there's a way to navigate everything the world throws at you. All you need to do is pay attention to your values. Values are the principles we live by. They range from being kind to others to remaining disciplined in the face of temptation. Once you know your values, every choice you're faced with is easy; you simply act according to the qualities you value most. The lessons in this handbook – written by former soldier, Sunday Times bestselling author and award-winning adventurer Jordan Wylie MBE and based on the values and standards of the Army Cadet Force – will help you identify your values and live a future-proof life.

Leseprobe

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To the dreamers, the doers and the ones who dare to believe in themselves, even when the world feels heavy. This book is dedicated to you… vi

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Contents

Title PageDedicationAbout the AuthorIntroductionGOING FURTHERVALUESCHOOSE YOUR VALUESCOURAGERESPECT FOR OTHERSINTEGRITYLOYALTYDISCIPLINESELFLESS COMMITMENTINSPIRE TO ACHIEVEAcknowledgementsResourcesNotepadCopyrightviii

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About the Author

I’m Jordan Wylie MBE, former soldier in the British Army, extreme adventurer, charity fundraiser, TV personality and Sunday Times bestselling author.

Now I see that written down, it looks quite impressive. But growing up, nobody – least of all me – thought I’d come to much. I grew up in Blackpool, on one of the largest council estates in England. At sixteen, I left school with no qualifications and a criminal record – not exactly the best start in life. x

What turned my life around was learning how to live through values. I first learnt about values in the army – a lot more on that later – and since then I’ve tried to apply them to everything I do.

After leaving school, I served for ten years in the military, including operational tours of Iraq and Northern Ireland. I returned to education and gained my GCSEs, my A-levels, a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. I’m a champion for young people and have raised over £1 million for charities that help children access education in conflict and war zones around the world.

Since 2018, I’ve been a national ambassador for the Army Cadets, one of the largest youth organisations in the UK.

In 2023, I was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in His Majesty King Charles III’s first honours list for voluntary services to charity and education both in the UK and overseas.

My proudest achievement, however, is being father to my teenage daughter, Evie.

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Introduction

Welcome to Future Proof.

This book is for teenagers and young adults who are looking for guidance and inspiration to navigate our rapidly changing and complex world, or anyone who wants to be better prepared for their future. Whether you’re just starting out in your career, wanting to make a change or simply looking for ways to improve your life, the lessons in this book will help you achieve your goals and live a much more fulfilling life.

These lessons are based on the values and standards of the Army Cadet Force (ACF), an organisation that’s been shaping young minds for over 150 years.

The Army Cadets are one of the largest youth organisations in the United Kingdom, with over 100,000 members, including 60,000 cadets between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The organisation is built on the founding principles of fun, friendship, actionand adventureand operates by the mantras ‘Going Further’ and ‘Inspire to Achieve’.xii

I wrote this book because I strongly believe that you don’t have to be a cadet or have any interest in joining the army, to benefit from the values and principles taught by both of these incredible organisations.

As you read through, you’ll learn how to develop the skills, mindset and resilience you need to not just survive and cope through life but thrive in the face of uncertainty, adversity and change. You’ll discover how to:

Identify your valuesSet and achieve your goalsBuild strong relationshipsImplement the highest of standards in both your personal and professional lives

The ACF is a family that teaches young people the importance of values and standards. It instils in them a sense of purpose, pride, and a desire to serve their communities and help others from a young age, as well as learn skills that’ll last a lifetime. As you read this book, you’ll learn how to apply these same principles to your own life and reap the benefits of a healthy, happy and successful future.

You’ll notice a series of activities for you to complete as you work your way through. I’ve called them EverydayAdventures. Don’t panic, I’m not asking you to climb Mount Everest. These are easy, practical exercises that’ll help you understand a bit more about yourself. Because I want you to xiiithink about adventure as a way of life and a way of thinking, not necessarily a far-flung destination.

Get ready to be inspired, encouraged and challenged as you embark on this journey to become FutureProof. I’ll be with you every step of the way.

Jordan xiv

1

GOING FURTHER

Anyonecanchangetheirlifeforthebetter

I’ve done it, not just once or twice but many times over.

As a lad, I’d often find myself in trouble both in and out of school. By my mid-teens, I’d made a name for myself, not only with my head teacher but the police and local authorities too.

Immature and easily influenced by others, I would skip school, get into fights and generally make poor decisions that, more often than not, would land me in a whole lot of trouble.

But the more trouble I made, and the more involved with the wrong crowd I became, the more I actually believed that this kind of behaviour was acceptable, even cool in some misguided way. I had a reputation, and I liked it.

My wake-up call came when, at the age of fifteen, I got arrested for a breach of the peace with anti-social behaviour and had to spend the night in a jail cell.

Not only was it a lonely and scary experience, but it landed me with a caution and a criminal record that would stay with me for the next five years.2

I didn’t realise it at the time, but looking back I feel quite fortunate that night happened the way it did, though I absolutely do not recommend or condone it in any way. That little cell, and the enormity of what it meant, finally got through to me in a way that my poor parents and teachers just couldn’t, despite their monumental efforts.

Something clicked that night that, thankfully, stopped me in my tracks. I realised I had to be mindful of the company I keep and the influence others have on me. I knew I needed to make better choices. That I couldmake better choices.

It wasn’t going to be easy. I’d been so used to backchatting and rebelling, I had a lot to learn (and unlearn). But the difference now was that I had motivation – a purpose – because under no circumstances did I everwant to end up back in that cell.

•  •  •

Not long after my night behind bars, I walked into a recruiting office in Blackpool town centre and signed up to join the army. I’ll admit it wasn’t my first choice of career, but despite my parents and teachers telling me to stop messing around and apply myself at school, my ignorance and bad attitude – not to mention my criminal record – now meant my options were going to be few and far between. Not many companies or colleges want to support someone who’s been in police custody before their sixteenth birthday.3

Fortunately, I was accepted as a frontline soldier in the Royal Armoured Corps. I was to be a trooper in the King’s Royal Hussars, a main battle tank regiment, where I’d be sent to a place called Bovington in Dorset to learn how to drive a 62-tonne Challenger 2 main battle tank. I couldn’t even drive a car yet!

•  •  •

Before I could go to Bovington, I had to head first to Winchester, a posh city in the south of England with fancy restaurants and locals who spoke like they still had their silver spoons stuck in their mouths. Aside from having some of the most expensive houses I’d ever seen, Winchester was also home to the Army Training Regiment (ATR), a place where I’d spend fourteen weeks doing my basic training.

When I arrived at Winchester Station, things didn’t exactly get off to a good start. I was greeted by a sergeant who seemed to like the sound of his own voice, and before we’d even left the car park, he reprimanded me, first for being late and second for making a phone call to my mate. Me being me, I told him to chill out. It cost me my mobile phone for the next three days.

When I got to my dorm room, minus my phone, I sat on the end of my bed and took in my new digs. Twelve single beds lined the room, divided by metal lockers and a small chest of drawers. The eleven other lads arrived one by one, 4each mumbled a quiet ‘hello’ and unpacked their civilian clothes, kit and the few personal items that were allowed. I wondered what the next three-and-a-bit months had in store for us all.

It was then that I noticed there were words stuck on every wall. Words that, later, I would also see on posters in the cookhouse as I ate my dinner. Those words were:

COURAGE

RESPECT FOR OTHERS

INTEGRITY

LOYALTY

DISCIPLINE

SELFLESS COMMITMENT

To be honest, they didn’t mean anything to me at first, but they were obviously important to someone. In the coming days and weeks, I’d learn that these words were the values of the British Army and the Army Cadet Force.

Words that, eventually, would come to be my values, too. Words that would help me navigate some of the toughest situations in my life.

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VALUES

I’ve come to learn that what we’re all living through at the time of writing is called a ‘polycrisis’. It’s where several disasters in a row (Covid, wars in the Ukraine and Gaza, a cost-of-living crisis, the effects of climate change etc.) shake things up so much that it impacts everyone. And guess what? Whether we realise it or not, that affects our mental well-being – our behaviour and the decisions we make.

And, polycrisis aside, our teenage years are often a wild and bumpy ride. You’re not a kid anymore, but you’re not exactly an adult either. Your body’s changing, and you suddenly find yourself riding a rollercoaster of emotions you didn’t even want to get on. School adds its own share of stress, of course. And let’s talk about friends – they’re awesome, but sometimes the need to fit in can make you say and do things you don’t like.

As well as raising my own teenage daughter and doing what I can to understand a bit about her world, I’m lucky that I get to do a lot of work in schools and colleges, meeting amazing young people and talking to them about their 6plans for the future. In doing so, I’ve realised that a lot of you feel anxious about what’s to come.

I can almost guarantee that during every school visit or conversation I have with a group of young people, as well as blowing me away with their curiosity, insight and open-mindedness, at least some of them will tell me that they:

are uncertain about their futuredon’t feel prepared for what’s to comeworry about their family’s expectationsare concerned about moneydoubt themselvesfeel pressure from friends and other peers

Some or all of those might sound familiar to you, too. And that’s a lot on anyone’s shoulders, isn’t it?

I believe that at the bottom of all of these, what’s fuelling these worries, is a feeling of lacking control. I know it was for me. And it’s no wonder, when we’re trained to always focus on the Next Big Thing – an exam, a job, a car, a pay cheque, whatever. For many, those things are overwhelming; for others, completely unachievable. But imagine if we could refocus. And instead of living life working towards someone else’s expectations, we start to set our own paths. The exams or whatever else are no doubt there along the way, but they aren’t everything.7

How can values help?

Think of values as the stuff that makes you, well, you. Or at least, the version of you you’d liketo be. They’re the principles and beliefs that shape how you treat others, make decisions and live your life every day.

If being kind to others is a big deal to you, that’s a value. Or if you think honesty is super important, that’s another value. Values help you figure out what’s right and wrong, what you stand for and what you want to achieve.

You’ve probably done those tests at school that tell you what kind of learner you are, hands-on or visual, or perhaps you’ve discovered whether you’re more of an introvert or an extrovert. There’s merit in knowing that about yourself. But those give an insight into who you already are – not necessarily who you want to become.

8Think of your values like a compass, pointing you in the right direction, guiding you towards a life that is happy, fulfilling and meaningful. Without them, or by following the wrong ones, you could feel unsure, anxious, adrift.

But I’d like to stress that living a life led by values doesn’t mean you won’t face tough times. You will – we all will – there’s no way of avoiding it. What values can do is provide a roadmap to help guide you through.

The instructors I met during my training in Winchester lived and breathed their values, and they did their best to encourage new recruits to do the same from day one. But they could only really introduce us to them; it was up to us to do the rest. We had to choose whether we were going to actually livethem.

Who decides your values?

Values have the power to guide our behaviour because they are deeply personal. They’re based on our individual experiences, beliefs and perspectives, and they reflect our unique identities. They’re shaped by our family, culture, religion and education.

Everyone’s different, but I think your teenage years are the perfect time to start thinking about values (that was the age I learnt about them). You’re beginning to understand who you are and what you want from life. It’s also a time when you start to make life-changing decisions about your future, and values will help you make those choices with confidence. But I firmly believe that we’re never too old, and it’s never too late.9

10Howcanvalueshelpusfindourplaceintheworld?