Episode 35: Five Strategies for a Massive Breakthrough

In last half of chapter 4.4 of Sunzi’s Art of War we read:

故勝兵若以鎰稱銖, 敗兵若以銖稱鎰。勝者之戰也, 若決積水于千仞之谿, 形也。

Therefore, the conquering army is like a ton compared to an ounce and the defeated army is like an ounce compared to a ton.  The combat of a conquering army is like the flowing of accumulated waters rushing through a gorge a thousand fathoms deep – this is strategic configuration.

In this passage, Sunzi describes the drastic difference between victorious and defeated armies using a scaled comparison and a metaphor defining the benefits of strategic configurations.  From this passage, I have extracted five strategies for creating a massive breakthrough in our lives, one that can turn defeat into victory.  They are:

1. Adopt an abundance mindset.  

2. Make a decision and then take decisive action!

3. Keep going, keep the energy flowing.  Consistent, concentrated effort carves a way through!

4. Amass & Store Up Personal Reserves – Motivational MREs

5. Open the Floodgates!  Take Massive (Strategically Formulated) Action!

1. Adopt an Abundance Mindset

The first strategy for creating a massive breakthrough is to adopt an abundance mindset. When we think about what we want to accomplish, is our mindset one of abundance, are we overflowing with confidence?  Or is our self-confidence thin, fragmented, and full of holes?  Why does it even matter?  In Sunzi’s estimation, those who have an abundance mindset are far more likely – over 500X more likely – to be happy with their lives and to achieve their goals than are those who have a scarcity mindset.  In other words, they are far more likely to win!

2. Make a Decision and Then Take Decisive Action!

The second strategy for creating a massive breakthrough in our lives, one that can turn defeat into victory, is to make a decision and then take decisive action. Jim Rohn (1930-2009) has taught that we “cannot make progress without making decisions.”  We can’t let ourselves get bogged down by indecision as if not making a choice will solve our problems for us.  It won’t.

3. Keep Going, Keep the Energy Flowing: Consistent, Concentrated Effort Carves a Way Through!

The third strategy for creating a massive breakthrough in our lives is to keep going, to keep the energy flowing because consistent, concentrated effort – even just a little bit – carves a way through any obstacle! As the Roman poet and Epicurean philosopher Lucretius (99 – c. 55 BC) observed: “The fall of dropping water wears away stone.” It is the accumulation of the little things that accomplishes great things!

4. Amass & Store Up Personal Reserves – Motivational MREs

The fourth strategy for creating a massive breakthrough in our lives is to build up a personal reserve or reservoir to sustain us and see us through. Everyone in the military knows about MREs, which stand for “Meals Ready to Eat.” I want to commandeer the idea of MREs today to provide a framework of mental, emotional, spiritual, and social resources we can collect, amass, and build up as a personal reserve to sustain us through hard times.  So, I am recoining the term MREs to mean “Motivation Ready to Encourage.”  In this formulation, MREs stands for: Memories, Relationships, Environment, and Spirituality.

5. Open the Floodgates!  Take Massive (Strategically Formulated) Action

The fifth and final strategy for creating a massive breakthrough in our lives is to open the floodgates and take massive action!  Once we find our opening, it’s time to pour all we have, all we are – our entire hearts and souls into it! As Tony Robbins teaches: “The path to success is to take massive, determined action… Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right!  … Massive action is the cure all.”  

Previous Episodes Referenced in this Episode:

Abundance Mindset: Episode 14 “Three Tactics for Boosting Morale, Maintaining Motivation, and Growing in Abundance and Strength.”

Raising the bar on your beliefs:  Episode 9 “What’s it Going to Cost Me?  Three Questions to Ask Before We Act.”

Take decisive action: Episode 10 “Sunzi’s Five Full Send Commitment Tactics for When We Hit the Wall.”

Get out there and engage: Episode 5 “Four Keys to Tip the Scales of Life and Shift the Balance of Power in Our Favor.”

Picking your battles: Episode 29 “Sunzi’s Six Strategies for (Self-)Preservation and Total Victory in Life or How to Have an Impenetrable Defense and an Unstoppable Offense!”

Cowry shells:  Episode 27 “Know Thyself & Understand Others: The Secret to Becoming Unbreakable.”

Lake Powell Trip: Episode 34 ” Sunzi’s Timeless Top Secret Formula for Success: Five Steps to Accomplish (Almost) Anything!”

For more information, tools, and resources to help you in your daily battles, for questions or to work with us, shoot us an email at artofwarforlife@gmail.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Art of War for Life Facebook page and @artofwarforlife.

The views expressed in this podcast are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. Thank you.