Category: Basic Training

Today, it’s not just young adults from economically disadvantaged and minority backgrounds who are challenged in their education and employment. Even adult men need continual learning and strong vocational skills to stay relevant and thrive during tough economic times. In fact, every male, young and old, needs good education and strong vocational skills to help them achieve their full potential as a mature man. Throughout this series on creating a roadmap for better manhood, I have suggested that we need to change the optics of today’s manhood since some people suggest men have “gone off the road.” There are too many immature males who misuse their masculinity. This may be a result of poor performance in school. It may be that a lack of education leads to fewer opportunities for a good career needed for personal and family stability. So why do men put so little emphasis on education and

Changing the optics of today’s manhood begins by acknowledging a change is needed. Sadly, our culture, the media, and many sociologists continue to shout that men have “gone off the road” by misusing their masculinity. That viewpoint is just wrong. Most men I know are mature men who understand how to use their masculine traits properly. But there are some guys who still act like immature boys so the “off the road” analogy can apply to the next skill needed to become a better man. As you will read, Navigation, Transportation, and Travel skills help men stay “on the road”, both literally and metaphorically. These skills provide men with greater independence, mobility, and control over their daily activities.  They also help them stay “on the road” of proper masculinity so they show up effectively as a mature man.  The Importance of a Road of Manhood  As I wrote in Time

This series about creating a roadmap for better manhood now moves to another critical skill for men: time management. While not inherently gender-specific, good time management helps men be better men. It makes them more productive, reduces their stress, and helps them achieve their goals in life. It also helps them manage their idle time, avoid the many distractions that can derail them, and keep their priorities straight.   “It is better to build strong boys than fix broken men.” -American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, Frederick Douglass (1818-1985) This insight from Frederick Douglass is prophetic. Today, there are too many immature boys who became broken, bored, and distracted men. With too much idle time on their hands and missing the skills to manage their life, they lack the maturity to be good and proper men who lead productive and satisfying lives. However, when we turn young males