Operation New Year

Or- Starting the journey of a thousand miles

Update: As of 19 December, Tough, Rugged Bastards is available for preorder on Amazon. I worked with the publisher, Post Hill Press and distributors at Simon & Shuster to make it as affordable as possible. I would really appreciate it if you would click on the cover below and order a copy or two. It will ship on the release date of 13 August.

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Think.

Last week we talked about establishing our strategic vision to define where we are ultimately going, what we want to achieve, and what we want to be remembered for.

I refer to this as our guiding constellation. We’ll go into greater depth on this in the monthly roll-up.

Once we have our strategic vision, it becomes easier to take the logical next step between there are where we are to pinpoint an operational objective that will move us in the right direction.

An operation is a big audacious goal that sits out as far as we can see on the horizon. A formidable mountain peak on the azimuth toward our strategic aim.

I like to keep operations in the six-month to one-year category. If it can be accomplished in a shorter window, think bigger. If it will take longer, plan an intermediate operation.

I’ve said numerous times that I am opposed to New Year’s resolutions, but that’s not entirely true. I’m more opposed to waiting for the new year to act. But, since we are here, and people are going to make them anyway, make it count.

What is an operational objective that you can establish that can be accomplished by December 2024?

If you can take a first step before January 1st that would be really cool. The hardest part is getting started. As Ernest Hemmingway said,

"There is a great inertia about all military operations of any size. But once this inertia has been overcome and underway they are almost as hard to arrest as to initiate."

Draw a circle on the map around the objective you will be attacking. Define it using the SMART acronym:

Specific -Leave no room for ambiguity.

Measurable- How will you know you have achieved success?

Aligned with your strategic vision.

Realistic but audacious enough to excite you (and scare you a little).

Timed -All good military operations involve synchronizing your watch and meeting a strict timeline.

Remember, we’re fighting to win as quickly, efficiently, and ruthlessly as possible so that we can move on to the next operational objective. As Sun Tzu said:

"So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence."

Next week we’ll start talking tactics.

Read. Stoic Street Smarts

We would all do well to resolve to improve our thinking in the new year. Well-written, common-sense advice from

Ed Latimore

Confirmation Bias, Cherry-Picking, and Echo Chambers

Write.

Your journal prompt this week is to decide on a few operational goals for the coming year. They should be on azimuth toward your strategic vision and be well-defined using the SMART criteria.

If you have any you’d like to share I’d love to hear what you come up with.

Repeat.

Words of wisdom from those who said it best.

"Between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure." - Omar Bradley

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See you next Thursday!