Titans, Tactics, & Reflection

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”

– US military saying

At 172 lbs., I am officially at the the lowest weight of my life. With my life-long goal of 170 lbs. well within reach, all I can do is look upon the simplicity of this process and admire the person it’s slowly, but very literally, carving me into.

This year has been a whirlwind of trials and I’m sure that there are more to come. From my preliminary injury in January, small bouts of depression shortly thereafter, weather damage to my home, and surviving 3 rounds of layoffs at my employer… and still, everyday I put on my ruck and pound pavement, preparing my mind for life’s blind curves and finding clarity in each difficult situation.

In Greek mythology, enduring impossible physical trials was a form of punishment employed by the Gods for defiant humans and Titans alike. Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra, was punished for cheating death twice by being forced to roll a giant boulder uphill only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top, repeating this act for eternity. In another example, the Titans, led by Atlas went to war against the Olympians for 10 years. Eventually they were defeated and Zeus punished Atlas by forcing him to carry the heavens upon his shoulders. I figure if that’s the type of punishment that only a God could bestow, it should suffice in preparing me for anything.

Tactics + Strategy

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Sun Tzu – The Art of War

Listening to inspiring books while rucking, reciting positive affirmations, and setting daily/weekly/annual goals are the tactics which align with my greater strategy of constant self-reflection. From the moment I wake up to the moment I get into bed, I create somewhere between 10 to 20 moments in which I reflect on my goals to ensure that my actions and thoughts align with the person I must become. I do this by surrounding myself with constant reminders which vary in medium (sticky notes, a custom poster, my affirmation track, etc) and use them as road markers on my never-ending journey. The impact that your surroundings have on your mental and physical health is well documented. For instance, take the concept of forest bathing in which participants simply walked around the forest for about 2 hours resulting in “significant positive effects on mental health, especially in those with depressive tendencies.” This is why, from my experience, rucking outdoors can have an exponentially positive impact on health during those rare occasions in which I leave the phone in the car. If you take this concept and expand it to your home, place of work, car, and even your social media accounts, you can easily create multiple, consistent environments which automatically steer your mental ship towards your goals. You must create multiple moments in which your mind recognizes the purpose of your tactics and aligns them to your overall strategy.

An Exercise in Reflection

“Come what come may, time and the hour run through the roughest day.”

William Shakespeare – Macbeth

I want you to rank your day on a scale of 0 to 5 with 0 being “I gave no effort toward my goals” and 5 being “I gave my goals every ounce of effort.” Do this for a week. At the end of the week, add up those scores and create 3 groupings as classifications for your week (see my example below). Finally, write a short journal entry about your week and next steps.

0 – 11: Full Stop- Other things were more important than my goals. Reflect on why and get back on track.

12 – 24: Solid Work – I allocated time daily to my goals and have tangible progress.

24 – 35: Fully Focused – I allocated significant time to my goals and made massive progress.

This is an example of simple end-of-day Reflection Point exercise. The goal of every Reflection Point is to be simple, repeatable, and visual. They should be reminders of progress when you’re winning and opportunities for ownership during your less-than-desirable moments. They allow you to measure backwards (as you always should) and roll up to your overall strategy and goals. The best part is that there is no right way to implement a Reflection Point. Try out multiple variations and keep those which work best for you.

Remember, results matter more than the tools you use.