When you are experiencing tough times personally or professionally, consider the ‘injure the corners’…

In my spare time, I write books that are not directly related to my day job. Some fiction, some non-fiction. I struggle with finishing them, because of time constraints, but I enjoy them as a pastime. I have seven or eight on the go at the moment. I have recently been revisiting a work in progress called ‘The Essence of Stratagems’. It is built on a book I did actually manage to finish and publish in 2016, called ‘The Essence of Strategy’. Stratagem is a less familiar term than Strategy, and is a posh word for a tactic. Strategy sets the direction, the goal. Stratagems are tactics used to get there. One of my favourite sources of stratagems is “The Book of Five Rings” by legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. That book is a description of how to win swordfights, but contains stratagems that are applicable in all areas of life and work. When faced with a very large, tough opponent, Musashi advises the reader to ‘injure the corners’. By this he means don’t try to go straight for a one-on-one big challenge. Instead remain at the periphery and weaken the opponent, physically and spiritually, with little cuts at the edges, until they are weak enough to take on head on. I know that doesn’t sound very peace, love and kumbaya, but it is a smart tactic. And we can apply it literally in trying to beat an opponent/ competitor, or we can apply it to a challenge we are facing, where the ‘opponent’ is a task or a goal. If I can be honest, I have been having a tough time in a number of ways personally and professionally the last year or so, and everything feels difficult. Too many mountains to climb. Feels like trying to walk in thick mud. A challenge round every corner. My coping stratagem has been to revert to ‘injuring the corners’. When I wake up not feeling like I want to face the day, I force myself to do four or five little wins before breakfast, just to feel good and get some momentum. Frequently, throughout the day, I choose some easy tasks that I know I can make progress on. Not maybe the most important things, but things that will make me feel like I am going forward. I know this is not rocket science, and I am sure all sorts of self-help books, videos and courses advise similar. But I just wanted to share. If/ when you feel like you are in a tough moment, try ‘injuring the corners’ as a tactic to get you through. #unthink #unask #unlearn #unstuck