Life is War: Sun Tzu's Tips to Help You Become Better

He advised his warriors to choose unexpected routes and attack undefended areas. The thinker compared the tactics of warfare with water: it flows down from the heights, filling the lowlands. So it is in war: it is worth avoiding positions in which the enemy is strong, and striking where the enemy is weak.

Sun Tzu's teachings are applied far beyond the battlefield, because his main idea - to achieve a goal you need to choose the easiest way possible - is extremely universal.

The advice from a Chinese thinker will be useful in everything from business development to weight loss and new habits. Let's take a look at how you can use a smart war strategy in your daily life.

The battle for the right habits

Too often, we strive to master new habits, fulfill ambitious plans and win other victories, relying solely on strength and acting too bluntly. We boldly go into battle and attack the enemy - in this case addictions - at the point where he is strongest.

Trying to diet with friends.
We are trying to write a book when there is a noise around.
Trying to eat right when the cupboards are full of sweets.
We are trying to work with the TV on.
Trying to focus with a smartphone with social media apps, games, and other distracting garbage close at hand.

When we quite naturally endure a fiasco, then we begin to blame ourselves: they say, we did not strive so much for the goal or showed insufficient willpower. However, in many cases, failure is the logical result not of cowardice, but of bad strategy.

Experienced generals begin with victories in simple battles, thereby strengthening their position. They are waiting for the enemy to weaken and lose heart in order to deliver an extremely accurate blow.

Why start a battle with an attempt to capture the most fortified area? Why try to create a new habit in an environment that only hinders progress?

Sun Tzu never entered a battle if its conditions did not provide a sufficient advantage. And he certainly did not start with an attack on the areas where the enemy concentrated the main forces. You should do the same: move to new habits in small steps, gather strength and take the best position to strike.

Sun Tzu, Master of Habits

Let's look at examples of how you can apply the ideas of a victorious strategist in the development of new habits.

Example 1

Sun Tzu:"Only then can you be sure of the success of your attacks when attacking undefended places."

What does this mean. Only then will you develop a habit when it is easy to learn.

Example 2

Sun Tzu:"He will win, who knows when it is worth fighting and when it is not."

What does this mean. He will change his behavior, who knows which habits to acquire in the first place, and which to postpone for later.

Example 3

Sun Tzu: "A reasonable commander avoids collision with the enemy when his spirit is strong, but strikes when he is lethargic and thinks of flight."

What does this mean. The sane person avoids fighting addictions where they are strong, but fights them where they are weak and easily changeable.

Join the battles you are destined to win

Self-improvement is not a matter of willpower or organization. It's all about choosing the right strategy. What people perceive as weakness or unwillingness to change is often just the result of trying to develop good habits under totally inappropriate conditions.

If you want to read more books, do not try to do so while being in the same room as your computer and TV. Move to a less distracting environment.
If you have a serious problem with being overweight, do not train on advanced athlete programs. You can of course try, but this is not a battle worth getting into right now. Start with a strong load.
If you are surrounded by people who scoff at any of your undertakings and interfere with the achievement of your goals, find another place to work. And at the same time, change the environment to a friendlier one.
If you are honing your writing skills when the kids come home from school and the house is in chaos, you are unlikely to succeed. Choose a more appropriate time.

Cultivate habits where they are easiest to do. Assess the situation soberly and rewrite the rules of the game so that the advantage is on your side.

It sounds corny, but how often have you found yourself getting into the most exhausting fight without even paying attention to the easier ones? You will have plenty of time for difficult battles. Deal with the simple ones first.

The best path to excellence is one where you don't have to overcome resistance. Participate only in those battles that promise you victory.