The Chains of Habit
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Last week we talked about recognizing the EMPCOA or the enemy’s most probable course of action, and planning to thwart it. We do this by developing the tasks, conditions, and standards for the things we want to achieve.
Task – the specific action we will perform.
Conditions- The set of circumstances under which we will perform the task, and items required.
Standard- The level that defines success.
It’s important to view each Task as a brick with which we will build the path toward our strategic vision.
We are moving from Task —> Mission —> Operation —> Strategic Vision.
Tasks are the habits Epictetus was talking about when he said:
“Every habit and faculty is confirmed and strengthened by the corresponding actions, that of walking by walking, that of running by running. If you wish to be a good reader, read; if you wish to be a good writer, write. If you should give up reading for thirty days one after the other, and be engaged in something else, you will know what happens. So also if you lie in bed for ten days, get up and try to take a rather long walk, and you will see how wobbly your legs are. In general, therefore, if you want to do something, make a habit of it; if you want not to do something, refrain from doing it, and accustom yourself to something else instead.”
When we recognize that all habits, good or bad, follow the predictable cycle James Clear discusses in his great book Atomic Habits:
Cue —> Craving —> Response —> Reward
We can look for the opportunity to either reinforce good habits or attack the weak points of our bad habits.
If you can see the clear path from the person you want to be, all the way back to the little tasks you must repeatedly perform to become that person, what’s stopping you?
Read. Harding Project Substack
I came across this while reading by Tyler Fox. It talks about the reasons we write.
Write.
Your writing prompt for this week is to make a list of bad habits you’d like to stop and good ones you would like to begin.
Repeat.
Words of wisdom from those who said it best.
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while... you don't do things right once in a while... you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.
Vince Lombardi
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See you next Thursday!
You know it's a great post when there are quotes by Epictetus and Vince Lombardi. Cheers to better habits!