This is important. Self care is paramount when getting that N. I made Chief first time up and during our INDOC the late CMDCM Snaza asked “who here made Chief their first time up?”. A bunch of us proudly raised our hands and were met with “so you have no idea what it feels like to not make Chief”. It really resonated with me and helped me get through getting the N for Senior the first 2 times. It hurt especially having great evals, ranked at the ISIC level, and 25% advancement to E8. There isn’t any right answer to this but for me I found solace in congratulating those who made it. Being proud for and with my shipmates knowing, while the extra pay would be amazing, I didn’t need a star to lead, train and develop Chiefs, Sailors and Officers.