Episode 36: Sunzi’s Octagonal Approach to Overcoming Overwhelm

The first half of Chapter 5.1 of Sunzi’s Art of War reads:

孫子曰: 凡治眾如治寡, 分數是也。鬥眾如鬥寡, 形名是也。三軍之眾, 可使必受敵而無敗者, 奇正是也。兵之所加, 如以碬投卵者, 虛實是也。

Sunzi said: In general, regulating a massive force is just like regulating a small unit – it’s just division and numbers.  Combat with a massive force is just like combat with a small unit – it’s just configurations and designations.  What guarantees that the mass of the Three Armies can assuredly withstand the enemy without being defeated are special and standard [tactics].  Increasing combat capabilities, so the impact of the army is as a whetstone thrown against an egg, is about exploiting weaknesses and strengths.

From this passage I have extracted eight actions for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks.  They are:

1. 分Divide & Conquer (Cut it Up into Bite-Sized Pieces)

2. 數Quantify the Problem: Stick to the Numbers

3. 形Focus on Structure: Work Smarter, Not Just Harder

4. 名 Give it a Name

  5. 正 Start with Established Tactics & Best Practices

6. 奇 Special Tactics & Innovation

7. 虛Find Openings & Opportunities: Exploit Weaknesses (Paper Tigers)  

8. 實Capitalize on Strengths

1. 分Divide & Conquer (Cut it Up into Bite-Sized Pieces)

The first action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks, especially when we are beginning to bring order to the chaos of our lives and our problems, is to divide & conquer.

By reducing large and complex issues and tasks down to more manageable tasks, we can make progress and overcome overwhelm.

2. 數Quantify the Problem – Stick to the Numbers

The second action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to quantify the problem – stick to the numbers. When we add layers of negativity to the problem, we only add unnecessary burdens on our own backs. 

Remember, the size of our problems is nothing compared to our ability to solve them!  So don’t overestimate our problems and underestimate ourselves, just stick to the numbers and believe that every problem can be solved!

3. 形Focus on Structure: Work Smarter, Not Just Harder

The third action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to focus on structure, structures that help us work smarter, not just harder. Focus on where we want to go and the next steps. 

Our focus determines how we structure our lives, so once we know what we want to focus on, we can structure our lives accordingly – where and how we spend our time, energy, and resources.  That is why focus can help us overcome overwhelm.

4. 名 Give it a Name

The fourth action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to give it a name.  Give the problem we are dealing with a name. Leadership coach Steven Fulmer has asserted that: “We can’t solve a problem we can’t name. We can’t fix what we don’t understand is broken.”

That said, don’t give it a name that blows it out of proportion, or a cute name, or a funny name that is going to enable us to stay stuck in the problem or take it on as our identity.  As Yogi Sadhguru warned: “You give your problems too many names because you like to decorate your problems.  If you decorate your problems you may not want to get rid of them.”

5. 正 Start with Established Tactics & Best Practices 

The fifth action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to start with standard tactics, well-established principles, and best practices.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel right off the bat. 

Rather, we find people who have the results that we are looking for and we do what they do, we model them. That’s how we put ourselves in a position to take whatever the universe can throw at us and not be defeated by it.

6. 奇 Special Tactics & Innovation

The sixth action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to employ special tactics and innovation. In Episode 37: “Four Strategic Insights for Infinite Innovation,” I’ll take a deep dive into Sunzi’s perspective on standard and special tactics, so tune in for that next week.

7. 虛 Find Openings & Opportunities: Exploit Weaknesses (Paper Tigers) 

The seventh action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to exploit weaknesses. Amelia Earhart once said: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.  The fears are paper tigers.  You can do anything you decide to do.  You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”  That tiger of a problem may just be a paper tiger with no life in it; that massive mountain to climb, may just be a hollow, empty cave.

8. 實 Capitalize on Strengths 

The eighth and final action in Sunzi’s octagonal approach for overcoming overwhelm and managing massive tasks is to capitalize on strengths. As we pursue our “Big Deals,” our mission, our grand endeavors, we need to play to our own strengths not others.’  Sometimes we fall into the trap of playing into other people’s strengths, playing their game instead of our own, or playing right into their hands, which leads to feeling overwhelmed!

We don’t want to go toe-to-toe with the overwhelm of life without our strengths – that is setting ourselves up for failure! When we play to our strengths, we’ll be happier, we’ll feel better about ourselves and our lives, and be able to overcome overwhelm with in a superior performance.  So just be yourself.  Do more of what you’re great at!

Previous Episodes Referenced in this Episode:

Chinese Idiom: How do you feed an Elephant?: Episode 28: “Sunzi’s Top Priority: Four Principles to Become Unconquerable!”

Strategic Formations: Episode 35: “Four Strategies for a Massive Breakthrough”

The Rule of Eight: Episode 22: “Take Back Your Life! Six Tactics to Pick Your Battles and Start Winning!”

The importance of Due Diligence: Episode 11: “The Art of Getting Stuff Done!  Sunzi’s Three Tactics for Effective Execution”

Calculating cost and crunching numbers: Episode 34: “Four Strategies for a Massive Breakthrough”

“Get real”: Episode 6: “Sunzi’s Six Traps of (Self-) Deception and How to Avoid Them”

Something to work, struggle and fight for: Episode 1: “What’s Your Big Deal?  What Are You Fighting For?”

Modeling others: Episode 33: “Two Exemplary Abilities for Governing Victory and Defeat.”

Standard and Special Tactics: Episode 37: “Four Strategic Insights for Infinite Innovation,”

Capitalize on your strengths: Episode 7: “Eight Tactics to Transform Your Life!”

Futility Farce: Episode 6: “Sunzi’s Six Traps of (Self-) Deception and How to Avoid Them.”

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.