Perhaps the greatest benefit of serving in the Navy is a guaranteed retirement after 20 years of service. But the Navy is structured such that you must "rank up or get out." This might make it seem that 20 years of service is not possible for mediocre performers; however, it is the record not the person that gets promoted. Mastering the skill of spinning the narrative will make you look good on paper and will do more for your promotion chances than sustained superior performance. Below are examples of how you should report on your less than outstanding performance this past year.
What happened:
You tested positive for cocaine once.
What you should write:
Has an impressive lifetime urinalysis pass rate of 98%.
What happened:
Despite their interest in your line of work, your curiously attractive Russian and Chinese girlfriends ghosted you.
What you should write:
Established and strengthened international relationships, facilitated strategic information exchanges, and enhanced host nation warfighting capabilities.
What happened:
Your revisions to standard operating procedures led to an increase in workplace accidents.
What you should write:
Overhauled the command's operating procedures generating a lasting effect on unit productivity and effectiveness.
What happened:
A coworker broke her collarbone and you offered to kiss it better. Added "I'm a good kisser."
What you should write:
Enhanced command awareness of sexual harassment policies by ensuring sexual harassment training was completed by 100% of personnel.
What happened:
You were absent physically, mentally, and emotionally as a leader.
What you should write:
Empowered subordinates to exercise initiative, created fertile ground for developing an adaptable workforce, and fostered an environment of emotional resilience.
What happened:
You lied about your rank when calling Sato to change a flight.
What you should write:
***PERFORMING AT AN O-6 LEVEL!***
What happened:
You posted the pretest answers of a computer-based training to Quizlet.
What you should write:
Greatly enhanced morale, alleviated a significant administrative burden, recovered 350,000 man-hours amounting to over $10 million in cost savings to the United States government, thereby giving our diverse team of modern-day warfighters an edge in a conflict against our near-peer adversaries.
The last one warrants a COM at a minimum.