Get Defensive
Or- "The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it."
Think.
We spent January talking about habits. Habits are the pointy end of the spear—where the rubber meets the road.
They are the tactical actions that translate into objective victories which move us towards our strategic vision.
And while Sun Tzu said, “Invincibility lies in the defense, the possibility of victory in the attack,” sometimes we need to take up a defensive position (as MCRP 3-10A.4 tells us), to “retain or control terrain, gain time, or develop more favorable actions.”
After a month in the assault, it may be helpful to halt, establish a perimeter, and assess the value of the ground we have taken so far.
We are not giving up ground, but rather taking a tactical pause to make sure we:
—Are attacking in the right direction.
—Have made good assumptions regarding the best route to our objective.
—Aren’t missing any enemy weaknesses we can exploit.
I recently had a coaching client tell me that after years of forcing himself to get up early and workout, he discovered that he has a far easier time working out in the evening. Instead of fighting through his workout and feeling drained all day, he now enjoys it and is making much better progress.
Victory is reaching our objective. The smart tactician is like water, taking the path of least resistance to get there.
Read. The Freedom Scale
by
Write.
This week I wanted to do something a little different and share some advanced praise for my memoir, Tough Rugged Bastards. This is from Amy Forsythe, Author of Heroes Live Here
“John Dailey’s personal reflections puts the reader right by his side during the early days of Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), and beyond. Tough Rugged Bastards…provides the reader an insider’s account and historical framework you won’t find anywhere else. His attention to every detail and authentic storytelling style makes this book the premier source for the chronology of Marines into SOCOM.”
Preorder a copy today!
Repeat.
Words of wisdom from those who said it best.
"The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
If you enjoyed this week’s T.R.W.R., please consider sharing it with a friend. Personal recommendations are one of the best ways for me to grow my audience and help others get better at getting better. Thanks!
See you next Thursday!
Thanks for including my work in your tactical instruction.
Lifestyle periodization...
Great work John.