Discipline equals Freedom
If you have heard or read this sentence before, chances are it came from John Gretto Willink, better known as “Jocko” (he even wrote a book about it). He is a former Navy Seal commander who looks and speaks as intimidating as his previous accomplishments in the army, business, and as an entrepreneur. That’s probably why he lives by that nickname: Jocko sounds much more outstanding than John does to me.
His point: Be disciplined and rigid in one area to facilitate more flexibility and tolerate more ambiguity in other regions. It will help you adapt more quickly.
One of the ways high performers do this is by separating strategy sessions from execution.
They block recurring time on their calendars to oversee what is going on and make strategic decisions. That might be a weekly and/or daily time block. Its main aim is to shift perspectives, designate a time to zoom out of the daily details of their work and get a bird’s eye view to see how their big goals align with the next possible steps and opportunities. It takes away the decision of what to do and when and leaves all your brain capacity to execute your plan.
That does not mean they never change their plans as they go. The goal is to get the strategic thinking out of the way on set times and days. So that once you are executing that strategy, you are more flexible in how to get it done. This way, you could have a lot of unknowns or unknowables but remain transparent about the direction you should be heading in.
For many people, this boils down to 1 weekly session, usually at the end of their workweek or just before a new week starts, where they oversee their big goals and break them down into more manageable steps. A good example here is to break a goal that would take several years to accomplish down into yearly, quarterly, monthly, and then weekly goals. The timeline might be different, but it’s breaking down the whole into the parts it is made of.
On top of that weekly session, a daily, shorter version can be helpful to correct the course along the way. Can you tie any loose ends at the end of a workday? Can you prepare your tasks for tomorrow to minimize the friction to get started? Can you keep working on the weekly or daily goals you set, or have you found new information or chances and need to adjust? This can be quick and highly valuable.
Now, this is work. It takes a little discipline. It is hardest to start and gets a little easier and more natural once you consistently do this. But it is probably the most significant investment of your time to limit wandering around and maintaining your course.
