Hold Fast
Or-- Don't give up the ship!
Think.
We’ll jump into LOE-2 next week, but first I have a question for you.
Would you rather have 1 million dollars now, or one cent today that will double each day for the month of May?
Of course, the first instinct is to choose the million bucks. It’s a big number.
However, if you’ve been around the block a time or two you can probably guess that somehow the penny is the right answer.
But when you start doing the math you realize that after one week you would only have .67 cents
By day 14 you are only at $81.92
After three weeks you would still only have $10,485.76
On day 27 you’re at a little over $671,000.
But then the magic happens.
On day 28 you break the 1-million-dollar mark.
And because May has 31 days, (lucky you) you finish the month with $ 10.7 million and change.
And while I am not offering to double your pennies, we can achieve similar steady (albeit a bit slower) growth through consistency in the basics of LOE-1 over time.
But we’re humans, and as such, we are inclined to want quick results.
We tend to be like Veruca Salt, the golden ticket girl whose visit to Wonka-land was cut short after being deemed a bad egg. She wanted it all NOW!
And the world is full of those who would prey on this preference. The internet is full of notifications about:
“This one weird trick…”
“The ultimate life hack…”
“Doctors hate him!”
“The secret to building muscle the fitness industry doesn’t want you to know.”
And we fall for it— again and again and again.
Because the other option is boring.
To struggle consistently even though we don’t see immediate progress.
And then, when we do choose the route of consistency for a period of time, we become frustrated because we don’t see results are quickly as we feel we should.
Author James Clear calls this gap between action and results ‘the valley of disappointment’. And in the valley is where most give up.
A traditional tattoo favored by sailors is HOLD FAST across the fingers like the one pictured above. It served as a reminder to hold tight, persevere, and weather the storm, or in our case, to cross the valley.
Even with the Force Multipliers of LOE-1 we won’t see immediate benefits, but if we neglect them, we never will.
As C.S. Lewis said:
"Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible."
If you hold fast, stay on azimuth, and keep moving forward, they will come.
And they will earn compound interest.
Next week, LOE-2.
Read. The Parable of the Monkeys by
Write.
Here’s what others are writing about Tough Rugged Bastards.
I’m honored to have a received a blurb for my book from May-lee Chai, the American Book Award-winning author of Useful Phrases for Immigrants and Tomorrow in Shanghai.
“Part elegy, part homage, John A. Dailey’s memoir is a powerful work of art, an exploration of a life lived in service, in peace and in war, filled with memories and reflections of that 'beautiful, horrible thing.’ It is unforgettable.”
I’d appreciate it if you’d pre-order a copy!
Repeat.
Words of wisdom from those who said it best.
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
My Sunday morning ruck video was on a similar topic. Please check it out and if you enjoy it subscribe to my YouTube channel and share it with a friend. Thanks!
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See you next Thursday!
Dang, this is a powerful one! Of course, I've had notions of this concept, but it's eye opening when you lay it out so clearly! Thanks!