“Being endowed with teeth and mounting horns, having claws in front and spurs in back, coming together when happy, fighting when angry, this is the way of Heaven, it cannot be stopped.
Thus those that lack Heavenly weapons provide them themselves.”

–Sun Bin

These days – the world has become a tougher and tougher place to live, and the competition for ever scarcer resources is only going to increase.

In fact, I predict that the economies, quality of life and social conditions of developed countries is only going to GET WORSE for the next 10-20 years…

“Success Anorexia” Strikes 70-95 Million Americans Every Year, but –

      You can protect yourself…

            You can outrun the herd…

                  You can BECOME A LION!

The U.S. economy may supposedly be recovering, but Americans aren’t getting any happier: Only one in three Americans say they’re very happy, according to a recent Harris Poll.

The online poll of 2,345 U.S. adults used a series of questions to determine Americans’ levels of contentment and life satisfaction.

Overall, just 33 percent of Americans said that they were very happy, remaining consistent with happiness levels in 2011 but dropping from the 35 percent who reported being very happy in 2008 and 2009.

And it’s no surprise as to why people are feeling less of a sense of well-being, and instead – feeling more distressed than ever.

The Great Recession officially ended three years ago, but most middle-class Americans are still feeling pinched.

About six-in-ten (62%) say they had to reduce household spending in the past year because money was tight, compared with 53% who said so in 2008.

The downbeat short-term perspective is not surprising in light of the heavy economic blows delivered by the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and the sluggish recovery since.

About four-in-ten (42%) middle-class adults say their household’s financial situation is worse now than it was before the recession.

That’s nearly half!

Make no mistake about it:  Times ARE tough and getting tougher…

Violent crime is getting more violent…

Well-paying jobs are harder and harder to find…

And people are experiencing less and less happiness, fulfillment and freedom…

Times like these are like a fiery crucible – which consumes and destroys the weak but turns the strong and the strategic minded into un-bendable, un-breakable steel.

In fact during the last great depression in the 1930’s – while millions of people were wandering the countryside looking for work, or lined up in the city streets looking for a handout just to get a hot meal in their bellies – More millionaires were created than at any other time in American history!

The world is changing.

The gap between the extremely rich and desperately poor is widening, and the middle class is in the process of being completely decimated throughout the world.

You’re going to have to learn how to outmaneuver, outwit, and out play your most formidable competitors – and even competitors you can’t see… Before they know what hits them!

To achieve personal success, you should first know what you want.

You should first know your destination.

Then, after knowing your destination, you should figure out how to get there.

Do you have a model for your future?

Do you have a real vision of the future for you and your family over the next ten to fifteen years, complete with written strategies to achieve that vision?

Successful businesses and institutions have visions of their future and strategic plans that they not only follow, but monitor and update on a regular basis.

This is an effective model that can be applied to personal lives, including your life.

What is a personal vision, and how do you define it?

A personal vision is simply your statement of what you want your future to be.

When asked, some people say that their vision is to be healthy, wealthy and successful.

That’s a good start, but you should recognize that those terms might have different meanings at different times in your life.

To develop your vision of the future, start with a pen and a piece of paper, and ask yourself “What?”

What do you want for your future?

What would your future look like if there were no financial restraints? No time constraints?

Now, ask yourself about your values….

What or who is really important in your life?

Family?

Career?

Wealth?

Ethics?

Knowledge?

What do you want to achieve during this life stage?

Career advancement?

Raise family?

Educate your children?

Travel? Accumulate?

Change the world?

Summarize all of this into one sentence about your preferred future. Two at the most.

This written vision should give you direction, declare where you are going, what you want to achieve and, by implication, what you want to avoid.

With your vision and mission defined, the next step in strategic planning is to devise strategies to achieve your vision.

A strategy is simply a way to do something, but some strategies are better than others.

Good strategies are what make the difference for winning generals or championship chess players.

The winners develop better strategies than their opponents.

So, for each component of your vision, ask “How?”

How will you achieve that component of your vision of the future?

I began adulthood as a high school drop-out, from a working poor family, with every card in the deck stacked against me…

At one point, things in my life got so bad that I just GAVE UP.

I’ve never had the type of character that would lead to suicide (maybe I was too much of a coward back then!), but I was as close as you can get…

I spun a globe to the furthest point in the world I could find from central Indiana, and my finger landed on India.

In desperation and confusion, I used the remainder of the cash that I had in life and bought a one way ticket.

No return ticket…

Less than $50 cash in the world…

No friends and no job waiting for me…

No way to even get home and no hope…

I arrived in Jaipur, the capital of the Rajastani desert in India with nothing but $50 and the clothes on my back as a young man with no employable skills, and not a chance in hell of making it.

But – as you’re probably guessing, I DID make it.

After a couple of weeks of sleeping outside in the desert heat, the pangs of hunger (hunger has been a constant and great teacher throughout my life.  It was hunger that caused the initial situation which allowed me to self-awaken in 2011) and thirst, and the realization that I WAS GOING TO DIE, every bit of existential angst simply disappeared and my survival instincts took over.

I instinctively and intuitively realized the same strategies and tactics as the great thinkers of the worlds of politics and war, and later went on to refine those skills…

In later years I would go on to live in China, where I studied not only Sun Tzu, but Jiang Ziya, Sun Bin, Zhuge Liang, and all of the great Chinese, Indian and European masters of strategy.

Within a few days of making the decision to change my life – with no experience and no skills I had become a project manager for the 2^nd largest business clan in India.  2^nd only to the world famous Tata group…

Since then, I have spent the last 17 years travelling the world, training with high level masters of martial arts, strategy and meditation, and running multiple successful businesses.

But it wasn’t any innate ability or even luck on my part.

It was that I uncovered a system…

This system has been employed for thousands of years to guarantee success in all endeavors – big or small.

And – it’s been battle tested and refined under the harshest conditions.

The system works.  It will work for you.

No matter how big or small your goals are – The Way Of Strategy will help you to achieve them.

Becoming the person you were really meant to be, fulfilling your own highest and best potential and achieving the unlikeliest of goals is all possible.

You can do this…

As you go through The Way Of Strategy you’ll begin to reprogram yourself for success…

Your mind will open to possibilities…

The obstacles that you currently face will transform into opportunities…

And, in the end if you would like even more help and training on the art of strategic thinking and mental warfare – it’s available for you.

Just visit EarthWaterFireAir.com and you’ll be able to access a PhD. Level of training resources in The Art Of War and personal success in general.

Now, I want you to read this book from beginning to end.

Don’t skip around the first time.

Later, after you’ve begun internalizing the process it will be ok for you to refer back to specific sections when you need guidance or advice, but for now – just read and absorb.

These pages hold within them the master framework for your success, and I’m truly honored to be your guide, coach and mentor.

Here’s what you’ll learn to master in The Way Of Strategy:

·       The Way Of Leadership & Command – Learn the secret traits that all “natural” leaders possess, and how to develop them in yourself

·       Understanding Climate & Terrain – Knowing both the “lay of the land” and being able to understand and respond to change is a critical factor for your success, and as you go through the coaching you’ll hone your natural abilities to do just that

·       Training Of Your People – Success is determined by a few things – Strategic advantage, timing, and proper training. Without the proper training for both you and the people around you, success becomes more and more elusive and failure more and more sure

·       Discipline – Master the art of rewards and punishment – a key skillset in motivating and leading others

·       Comprehensive planning  – To reach any goal that necessitates a multi-step process, planning must be done. The focus is not whether to plan or not to plan. Rather, the focus is how detailed the planning is. Also, it is recognized that comprehensive planning is as much an art as a science

·       Formulation Of Goals And Strategies – How to create your strategic blueprint for maximum leverage and strategic advantage – no matter what your goals may be

·       Determining If There Is A High Probability Of Victory – Look, you don’t want to waste your time building strategic advantage and creating leverage for a no-win situation. This section will help you know instantly that something is right for you and worth your time and effort

·       Evaluation Of Strategies – How to test your strategic blueprints and plans before “going live” so that you waste as little time and effort as possible. When evaluating strategy there are 3 important questions you MUST be able to answer “Yes!” to: Do your goals represent net positive gains? Are you goals achievable? Are your goals prioritized?

·       Value of Information – Comprehensive plans cannot be made on the basis of intuition, gut feeling or calculated guesses. It must be based on intelligence—based on direct knowledge

·       Choice of battleground – In military combat, one of the important factors is the choice of battleground. This same logic applies to business and individual competition. Choosing the right battleground will allow you to draw on your strengths and camouflage your weaknesses.

·       Implementation Of Strategies – How to begin executing effectively towards success and victory – RIGHT NOW

·       The 4 Areas A Successful Person MUST Pay Attention To – Selection of strategic targets, the ability to create strategic advantage, the ability to fit the strategy to the situation, and a sense of strategic timing

·       Concentration Of Force – The economy of force means finding the way to concentrate your “many” against the enemies “few”

·       Attack & Defense – When confrontation in unavoidable even the best defense can only lead to not losing. When it comes to head to head competition, the ONLY way to win is to attack and you’ll learn the best ways to do it

·       Speed of execution – Once a comprehensive plan is created based on information gathered from intelligence and the battleground has been chosen, it is important to swiftly execute the plan. Speed of implementation includes aspects of timing, momentum and pacing

·       Adaptability  – This speed in execution however does not mean just charging blindly forward. You must collect feedback and change according to dynamic circumstances

·       Creating strategic advantage through deception – In war, the creation of strategic advantage is very important. If nothing else, you should be aware of deception so you can guard against it

·       Orthodox & Unorthodox – In battle, there are only two forces—the orthodox and the unorthodox. There is a yin-yang principle involved in the use of these forces that you must not only understand but be able to execute upon as the need arises in order to get the success you really want

·       Contingency Plans – Things rarely turn out “according to plan”. It’s generally a good practice to allow some margin for error and in order to “not lose” you have to develop strong, effective contingency plans

·       Strategic Controls – How to measure your success and know where, why and how you need to re-calibrate your strategies

The Framework

On this site, you’ll learn a simple framework, which is easy to use, and easy to implement in all areas of your life.

This frameworks represents the overall framework of strategic thinking.

You’ll also discover tactical specifics for each element in the framework – so that you become a master of The Way Of Strategy.

In brief, the framework is:

1. Situation Appraisal

2. Formulation of Goals and Strategies

3. Evaluation of Strategies

4. Implementation of Strategies

5. Strategic Controls

This framework is modeled on the classics of strategy from Europe and Asia, but for this work we’ll be looking most at Chinese thought on strategy.

While European strategy is fantastic and useful – it is often a broadsword.

It seeks total domination and total warfare, whereas it’s Chinese counterpart is more diplomatic and subtle.

One could argue that conflict is one of the major themes throughout human civilization.

On the soil that is now called “China”, the rise and fall of dynasties has seen various interest groups fight for control of the land, people and resources for thousands of years.

These battles have ranged from individual intrigues to clashes of 100,000 men armies.

These battlefield experiences and personal plots spawned a body of work that sought to grasp the underlying principles of warfare and understand the human combatants.

Throughout history these texts were appreciated, not only by military and political leaders, but also by the intelligentsia.

The writings provided principles and tactics suitable for the battlefield and also embodied philosophical truths and essential wisdom about the human condition.

The concepts within could be applied to numerous contexts—the battlefield, business, and the individual art of life.

These bingfa [~BEENG-fah], or works of

military strategy, have been, and still are, useful for areas outside armed conflict.

They provide not only specific military tactics but they also embody underlying principles and patterns of human behavior. Variations of the strategies can be implemented whenever you are dealing with humans.

Sunzi Bingfa—The Art of War is by far the most famous bingfa.

It’s interesting to note that it is not just the most highly acclaimed bingfa in the West, it has the same level of esteem in China and Asia.

It was regarded to be the best of its kind in ancient times too. In fact, it features prominently in one of the later bingfa, from around 600 A.D., Questions and Replies Between Tang Tai Zhong and Li Jing .

It also features prominently is this work since it’s such a seminal text. I’ve also added parts from other bingfa to flesh out certain themes.

The opening passage of The Art of War states:

Warfare is the greatest affair of the state, the basis of life and death, the way of survival or extinction.
It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed.

With an abstracted view of “warfare” as “competition,” and the context personalized, the quote above reads:

Competition is the greatest affair of the individual, the basis of life and death, the way of survival or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed.

In addition to Sun Tzu, other strategists have suggested that war, and competition by proxy, is nothing to take lightly.

It is something to always keep in mind.

As mentioned in Sima Fa:

Even though a state may be vast, those who love warfare will inevitably perish.
Even though calm may prevail under Heaven, those who forget warfare will certainly be endangered.

And in Sunbin’s Military Methods, it says:

One who takes pleasure in the military will perish, and one who finds profit in victory will be insulted. The military is not something to take pleasure in, victory not something through which to profit.

The material in these bingfa can be viewed as a “mental” martial art. So, the same “rules” apply as with physical martial arts.

Use the same amount of discretion when employing the techniques you learn here.

In the following, I talk a lot about the “competition” and your “opponent” and the “enemy.”

Please remember that an “enemy” is conceptualized as someone who wants to harm you.

Thus, all “enemies” involve conflict, but not all conflicts involve enemies.

Sometimes, the conflict is internal. You are “fighting” with yourself.

Or you may get into conflicts with your friends and family about certain courses of action.

Perhaps you have differing opinions or it might be a case of miscommunication.

While you might disagree with them, they probably are not trying to harm you, so this does not make them an “enemy”.

Some of the strategies might not be appropriate for every conflict. But the overall process should be useful for almost any situation.

In order to gain a clearer grasp of competition and how this understanding can be beneficial, we will focus on one strategic process.

The structure of this overall process actually echoes the structure of The Art of War.

Before we being, please note that the source documents are from ancient China, so you will need to do a bit of imaginative thinking to really understand how this process and the principles within apply to your particular situation.

In the words of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi, “From one thing know ten thousand.”

A. Formulation of Goals

After you have a general notion that your idea is feasible, it’s time to set some specific goals— decide some clear outcomes you want to reach.

And as in war, the ultimate goal is to “win”.

You want to achieve the objective, complete the mission— whatever that may be.

In order to move on from this stage you must be able to say “Yes” to three questions:

1. Do my goals represent some net positive gains?

2. Are my goals achievable?

3. Are my goals prioritized?

Ideally, you want to achieve maximum gains with minimum effort.

In order to do that, it’ generally the best thing to follow the “path of least resistance”.

Your aim is to capture all the enemy’s states intact.

Thus, your forces are not worn out and your victory can be complete.

This is the crux of the offensive strategy.

…subdue the enemy’s army without direct battle;
capture the enemy’s cities without fierce assaults

—The Art of War

1.          Result in . net positive gains

The bottom line is that the gains must exceed the costs.

You don’t want to put more into something than you’ll get out of it.

Sometimes these gains can be quantitative, for example you find a new job that pays more money.

Sometimes these gains can be qualitative –  you find a new occupation that you enjoy more or a new job that pays slightly less but provides vital experience.

Do not move unless there are definite
advantages to be gained.
Engage only when it is in [your] interest; Cease when it is to [your] detriment.

—The Art of War

2.          Achievable

When deciding on goals you should also attend to timeframe. You should be able to achieve the objective within a reasonable amount of time. 

There has never been a protracted war that has brought benefits to the state.
Therefore, in war it is advantageous to go for swift victory and not prolonged campaigns.

—The Art of War

Generally, when we don’t see clear progress it is hard to stay motivated. A “swift victory” builds confidence and creates momentum.

When victory is long delayed, the ardor and morale of the army will be depressed.
When the siege of a city is prolonged, the army will be exhausted.
When the army engages in protracted campaigns, the resources of the state will be impoverished.

—The Art of War

3.           Prioritized

Being victorious in battle is easy, but preserving the results of victory is difficult.
Thus it is said that among the states under Heaven that engage in warfare those who garner five victories will meet with disaster;
those with four victories will be exhausted;
those with three victories will be hegemons;
those with two victories will be kings; and
those with one victory will become emperors. For this reason those who have
conquered the world through numerous victories are extremely rare, while those who thereby perished are many.

—Wuzi

When formulating goals, strategy comes first. If you fight too many battles, you will lose in the end.

And if you have to engage in battle, attacking the enemy’s strategy is highest priority.

The highest form of generalship is to attack the enemy’s strategy;
the next best policy is to disrupt his alliances;
the next best is to attack his army;
The worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
Besiege cities only when there are no other alternatives.

—The Art of War

The chain of desirability moves from the nonphysical to the physical– the formless into the “myriad things.”

The ultimate goal is to “win without fighting” and to avoid head to head competition if possible.

While there is always some form of inexplicit competition, it’s best to try and keep it that way, and try to avoid explicit competition or “open battle”.

If open competition is unavoidable, one way to attack the enemy’s strategy is to take initiative and “psyche them out” before open competitionbegins.

Those from whom the initiative has been taken have no spirit;
those who are afraid are unable to mount a defense;
those who have suffered defeat, have no men.
They are all cases of an army lacking the way of the military.
When you go forth and have no doubts, then follow your plan.
When you rob the enemy of his plans and still no on confronts you, press the attack home.
If you can see clearly and occupy high ground then overawe them into submission.
This is the pinnacle of the way of the military.

–Wei Liaozi

Mount a sudden strike on their doubts.
Attack their haste.
Force them to constrict their deployment.
Launch a sudden strike against their order.
Take advantage of their failure to avoid harm.
Obstruct their strategy.
Seize their thoughts. Capitalize on their fears.

–-Sima Fa

Attacking the opponent’s strategy can also take the form of a preemptive strike. As it is said, “prevention is the best cure.”

The easiest way to achieve this is through positioning.

It’s like that fable about the apple tree and the pear tree.

Everyone is going for the apples, pushing and shoving and struggling, but just a bit off in the distance, off to the side, is a pear tree with no one around it.

All you have to do is simply go over to the tree and start picking pears.

This is the way of Competition.

This principle is represented in business as “firs mover advantage”.

There can be clear advantages for a company that opens a new market.

This doesn’t prevent competitors from entering the market, but when they arrive late they will have to “rush into action when they are already tired and exhausted.”

The first mover generally has better positioning and the costs of entry are usually higher for the later entrant.

And if a business is operating in a niche market where is has core competency, it can be very difficult for others to compete.

One who excels at warfare first establishes himself in a position where he cannot be defeated while not losing any opportunity to defeat the enemy.
For this reason, the victorious army first realizes the conditions for victory, and then seeks to engage in battle.
The vanquished army fights first, and then seeks victory after the battle has begun.

—The Art of War

What does this mean for an Individual? You can think of this in terms of your personal strengths.

What are you good? What are you good at that you like doing?

And then, what are you good at that you like doing that no one or not many other people are doing?

For example, if you are a 250lb.  white guy with limited success in ball sports, it probably would not be the best idea to try and become an NBA basketball player.

However, if you are someone who is obsessed with printed material, who has been doing martial arts his whole life and spent the better part of the last 5 years intensively studying Chinese language and culture, it is probably not too bad of an idea to write about Chinese strategy.

After you have formulated your goals and they represent some net positive gain, they are achievable and prioritized; it’s time to think about how to reach those goals.

B. Formulation of Strategies

1.          Choice of battleground

First mover advantage is about the choice of battleground—the area of competition. While “terrain” is fixed and not alterable, “battleground” is variable and controllable.

There are two main factors in choosing the battleground:

a. Areas that have distinct advantages

b. Areas ignored by the enemy

a. Being the first to occupy the battleground:

Generally, those who reach and occupy the battleground early will have time to rest and wait for the enemy.
Those who arrive at the battleground late will have to rush into action when they are already tired and exhausted.

—The Art of War

b. Choosing a battleground that is more advantageous to you than your competitor:

Those who are skilled in warfare will always bring the enemy to where they want to fight, and they are not brought there by the enemy.

—The Art of War

Being the first one to occupy a key battleground allows you to be better prepared than the enemy.

It will allow you to obtain advantages accorded by the terrain.

In addition, it allows you to consolidate resources before the arrival of the enemy.

A battleground that is more advantageous is one in which the terrain fits your resources better than it fits the competition’s resources.

It is a ground that magnifies your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses.

By first occupying this type of ground yourself, then bringing your enemy to that ground for battle, you obtain a higher assurance of victory.

Do not rely on their not coming, but depend upon having the means to await them.
Do not rely on their not attacking, but depend on having an unassailable position.

—The Art of War

Concentration of forces

Another leverage point is the principle of concentration of forces.

In terms of warfare, the economy of forces means finding a way to concentrate your “many” against the enemy’s “few.”

If I determine the enemy’s disposition of force while I have no perceptible form, I can concentrate my forces while the enemy is fragmented.
If we are concentrated into a single force while he is fragmented into ten, then we attack him with ten times his strength.
Thus we are many and the enemy few.

—The Art of War

“Many” and “few” are relative terms.

The principle of concentration of forces recognizes relative strength, not absolute strength. Ultimately, the point of contact dictates the outcome of the battle.

The strength of an army does not depend on large forces.
Do not advance relying on sheer numbers.
Rather, one must concentrate the forces and anticipate correctly the enemy’s movements in order to capture him.

—The Art of War

How is this possible?

How can you concentrate all of your force at the point of contact and assure that your enemy cannot do the same?

This is one place where deception and unpredictability factor in.

The enemy must not know where I intend to attack.
For if he does not know where I intend to attack, he must defend in many places.
The more places he defends, the more scattered are his forces, and the weaker is his force at any one point.
If the enemy prepares to the front, his rear will be weak;
if he defends the rear, his front will be fragile.
If he strengthens his left, he will weaken his right;
if he strengthens his right, he will weaken his left.
If he tries to prepare everywhere, he will be weak all over.

—The Art of War

3.          Attack and Defense

As mentioned earlier, outright head to head competition is best avoided, but if it is unavoidable, then the only way to win is through attack.

Let’s look at the world of sports for a moment.

In playing a game of soccer, the only way to win is to kick the ball into the opponent’s goal.

You cannot win by just defending your own goal. If you focus on defense only, the best possible outcome is a draw.

You cannot win a basketball game without putting your ball in the opposing teams net.

Of course, you need to get back on defense too but you can’t win by focusing on defense only.

In boxing, you can slip and dodge but ultimately you need to punch to knock out your opponent.

However, this doesn’t mean you should just charge into the conflict unprepared.

The best overall strategy is to build a strong defense first, then once you have established a solid position, wait for an opening and attack when the opportunity presents itself.

In antiquity those that excelled at warfare first made themselves unconquerable in order to await the moment when the enemy could be conquered.  Being conquered lies within yourself; being conquerable lies within the enemy.
Thus one who excels in warfare is able to make himself unconquerable
In ordinary situations using the military, if the enemy does not make an error in judgment, how can our army conquer them?
It may be compared with chess where two enemies begin in equal strength.
As soon as someone makes a mistake, truly no one can rescue him.
For this reason, in both ancient and modern times, victory and defeat have proceeded from a single error.

–Questions and Replies

In addition, it is important to have a correct assessment of relative strength and advantage before you attack.

One who cannot be victorious assumes a defensive posture; one who can be victorious

attacks.
In these circumstances by assuming a defensive posture, strength will be more than adequate, whereas in offensive actions it would be inadequate.
Those who excel at defense bury themselves away below the lowest depths of the Earth.
Those who excel at offense move from above the greatest heights of Heaven.
Thus they are able to preserve themselves and attain complete victory.

—The Art of War

4. The Orthodox . and the Unorthodox

Another consideration in the formulation of strategies is the use of the “orthodox” and the “unorthodox”.

Orthodox or zheng can be understood as “actual, normal, direct, full, substantial”.

Unorthodox or qi can be understood as “surprising, extraordinary, indirect, deceptive, empty, vacuous”.

In battle, there are only two forces—the orthodox and the unorthodox.

There is a yin yang principle involved in the use of these forces.

Generally, orthodox represents yang and unorthodox represents yin, but sometimes the orthodox is yin and the unorthodox is yang.

Yin is inside yang. Yin is not “opposed” to yang.

Yang is inside yin. Yang is not “opposed” to yin.

These forces contain each other and whichever side is dominant shifts fluidly according to circumstance.

Musical notes do not exceed five, but the changes of the five notes can never be fully heard.
The colors do not exceed five, but the changes of the colors can never be completely seen.
The flavors do not exceed five, but the changes of flavors can never be completely tasted.
In warfare the strategic configuration of power do not exceed the orthodox and unorthodox, but the changes of the orthodox and unorthodox can never be completely exhausted.
The orthodox and unorthodox mutually produce each other, just like an endless cycle.
Who can exhaust them?

—The Art of War

The unorthodox represents the strategic advantage that you need to win in battle.

Every strategic action has two aspects: the “yang” superficial move and the “yin” underlying purpose.

In battle, one generally engages with the orthodox and gains victory through the unorthodox.
Thus one who excels at sending forth the unorthodox is as inexhaustible as Heaven, and unlimited as the Yangtze and

Yellow rivers.
What reach an end and begin again are the sun and moon.
What die and are reborn are the four seasons.

—The Art of War

When action is initiated it becomes the orthodox; what has not yet been initiated is the unorthodox.
When the unorthodox is initiated and not responded to, then it will be victorious.
One who has a surplus of the unorthodox will attain surpassing victories.

–Military Methods

In addition, by concealing both the orthodox and unorthodox, you can take the enemy completely by surprise.

But such ideal secrecy can seldom be attained. The only alternative is to make the enemy neglect or misinterpret the underlying

purpose of your operation.

In other words, you aren’t going to be able to keep the enemy ignorant of your actions, you’ll have to trick them right under their nose. 

Our orthodox should be like the mountain, our unorthodox like thunder.
Even though the enemy is directly opposite our front, no one can fathom where our unorthodox and orthodox forces are.
At this point what shape do I have?

–Questions and Replies

The interchangeable use of the two forces will make it difficult for the enemy to guess your real intention.

This will create deception.

Creating deception can allow you to direct forces where the opponent is not guarded. You can attack with the “substantial” where the opponent is “vacuous”.

If wherever the army attacks it is like a whetstone thrown against an egg, it is due to the vacuous and substantial.

—The Art of War

When you have mastered the orthodox and unorthodox, they are used interchangeably. Thus you always maintain an element of surprise and a strategic advantage.

For those who excel at employing troops there are none that are not orthodox, none that are not unorthodox, so they cause the enemy never to be able to fathom them.
Thus with the orthodox they are victorious, with the unorthodox they are also victorious.

–Questions and Replies

Contingency Plans

Things rarely turn out “according to plan”. It’s generally a good practice to allow some margin for error.

What if the enemy does not respond as anticipated?

If the enemy is not forthcoming after the launch of the orthodox attack then a different combination must be used.

This can be achieved by transforming the orthodox and unorthodox.

The number and degree of transformations are virtually limitless. Hence, the flexible use of these two forces allow for contingencies.

In any planning decision, contingencies must be included.
At times, you may even develop two or more alternative courses of action.
It is said that the famous strategist Zhuge Liang often prepared contingency plans based on different circumstances and put them in envelopes.
As the situation developed, the appropriate envelope would be opened and the new plan followed.
Contingency plans ensure that alternative effective actions are available when needed.
Those who are advancing should have a route out, those withdrawing should have a route for advancing.

–Military Methods

After you your goals and strategies have been formulated and you have made some contingency plans, it’s time to evaluate the strategies.

1. Comprehensive planning
2. Value of information
3. Choice of battleground
4. Speed of execution
5. Adaptability
6. Creation of advantage through deception
7. Attack, if one must compete in the open

Comprehensive planning

To reach any goal that necessitates a multi-step process, planning must be done.

The focus is not whether to plan or not to plan.

Rather, the focus is how detailed the planning is.

Also, it is recognized that comprehensive planning is as much an art as a science.

Thoroughness of planning would encompass considerations on a macro and micro level, the inclusion of both controllable and uncontrollable factors, internal and external dimensions, human and non-human components, static and dynamic forces and tangible and intangible matters.

A comprehensive plan has to be exhaustive in coverage and considerations.

However, while plans should be detailed, the planning process should not be an excuse for not taking action.

In life there is usually never a “right time” or “perfect time” to do something. If you wait for the “right time,” then you will wait forever.

Sometimes you need to take action before the plan is “perfect” in order to build momentum.

Remember that planning should be done as preparation for implementation.

Planning is not just done for planning sake.

Value of Information

Comprehensive plans cannot be made on the basis of intuition, gut feeling or calculated guesses.

It must be based on intelligence—based on direct knowledge.

This intelligence cannot be obtained from spirits or gods; nor by inductive thinking or deductive calculations.

The best quality information is obtained by men who have direct knowledge of the enemy’s situation.

In addition, it’s best to get as close to the source as possible when gathering information.

There is a need to actively collect, store, analyze and utilize information, as well as protect your own information.

Choice of battleground

In military combat, one of the important factors is the choice of battleground.

This same logic applies to business and individual competition.

In choosing an area of competition, you should choose an area where you have some sort of distinct advantage.

Choosing the right battleground will allow you to draw on your strengths and camouflage your weaknesses.

Speed of execution

Once a comprehensive plan is created based on information gathered from intelligence and the battleground has been chosen, it is important to swiftly execute the plan.

Speed of implementation includes aspects of timing, momentum and pacing.

Adaptability

This speed in execution however does not mean just charging blindly forward.

You must collect feedback and change according to dynamic circumstances.

In addition to being flexible and responsive, you must also be innovative and creative.

You first have to get to “different” before you can get to “better”.

At any given moment, the best course of action might be a course yet to be conceived.

Plans should be adhered to as closely as possible but you must also use your judgment and deviate when the situation dictates.

Creation of strategic advantage through deception

In war, the creation of strategic advantage is very important.

Aside from exploiting advantages in weather and terrain, another important means is deception.

The morality behind the use of deception is not really questioned in war, but the use of deliberately deceptive tactics by an individual might bring up some ethical conflicts.

Certain individuals might not feel comfortable using deception themselves, but you cannot deny that other people are using deception.

If nothing else, you should be aware of deception so you can guard against it.

Attack, if one must compete in the open

When in a direct confrontation, the most viable way to win is to go on the offensive.

Defense can only result in a “non-lose” situation.

It can prevent failure but cannot guarantee success.

As it says in Sima Fa, “With armor one is secure; with weapons one attains victory.”

Awesomeness lies in not making changes.

Benefice lies in according with the seasons.

Perceptivity lies in promptly responding to affairs.

Success in warfare lies in controlling spirit.

Skill in attacks lies in fathoming externals.

Defense lies in manipulating external appearance.

Not being excessive lies in measuring and counting.

Not encountering difficulty lies in foresight and preparation.

 Being cautious lies in respecting the small.

 Wisdom lies in controlling the large.

 Eliminating harm lies in being decisive.

––Wei Liaozi

If you accept that there is an entanglement of explicit and implicit competition in life, then you can draw from the process and principles above to excel in whatever competitive situation you encounter.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

And in the words of Kenny Rogers, “If you’re going to play the game, boy. You got to learn to play it right.”