If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying- seizing the unfair advantage
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When I was in sniper school, the test of camouflage, concealment, and craftiness was the stalk.
Dressed in ghillie suits, we started at one end of an open field and were tasked with crawling across, dragging our sniper rifles behind us, often for a kilometer or more, while instructors with binoculars searched for us.
Our job was to get within range to take a shot at them (using blank ammunition).
Once we took the first shot, another instructor would walk within several feet of our position while the instructors, using binoculars, homed in on our location.
Then, we fired another blank round with them looking for any sign of our muzzle blast.
To be successful, we had to remain unseen.
To remain unseen, we had to learn to be crafty and seize every possible advantage.
To move quickly when a heavy wind blew.
To take advantage of the seconds when another student drew the instructor’s attention away.
We had a saying, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying, and if you get caught, you ain’t trying hard enough.
It wasn’t really ‘cheating’. It was simply seeking the advantage.
This is something we always try to do when planning a mission, we always consider the best way to put ourselves into an advantageous position.
In the defense, we hold the high ground and force the enemy to attack uphill.
Fighter pilots try to keep the sun at their back to make themselves harder to see.
In my former job, we hit the target’s house hard and fast at 2:00 a.m. while they were sleeping.
We seek to put ourselves in the most advantageous position in each case.
But, we often set goals for ourselves and forget this bit of wisdom.
We commit to hitting the gym early in the morning, but stay up late the night before.
We plan to eat clean, but keep a house full of garbage food.
We promise to be more productive, but leave our phones sitting and buzzing on the table beside us.
The next time you settle on a new goal, ask the questions,
“How can I ‘cheat’ to set the conditions to my advantage?”
“How can I best position myself for success?”
Failure is the enemy - What steps can you take to negate his advantage and put yourself in the best position to take your shot?
Until next week,
Keep Walking Point
John
If you have any questions or feedback about today's newsletter or if you'd just like to reach out, email me at john@walkingpoint.org. I’ll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.
