True North

I recently finished "The Spartan Way" - an Audiobook by Joe De Sena. What a breath of fresh air. I recommend it to anyone interested in a warrior mindset, interested in raising standards, and keen to be inspired by a courageous tribe of humans.

De Sena is the energy behind the "Spartan Race" concept: Endurance and obstacle course races which test the human spirit and push human limits. He is worth listening to as he has successfully achieved extraordinary results by "living" the Spartan way.

He unpacks the 10 principles of the Spartan ethos in ten separate chapters. I will summarise each based on what impacted me most.

1. Find our true north - self awareness. "True north" strikes me as a superb euphemism for personal purpose. Once the mission or purpose is crystal clear, it is a simple case of testing any task against the obvious criterion: "Is this bringing the team/me closer to or further from our/my true north?" Ironically, in the real world of navigation, there is magnetic north and grid north. Both of these are necessary for reasons we will not explore right now, but the fact remains as with purpose-navigation, there is only one true north to the north pole.

2. Make a commitment - perseverance. Worthy journeys are never easy. Whether it is marriage, mastery, or migration, it takes patience, sacrifice, and concerted effort over a long period of time. Staying the course leads to a greater return on investment.

3. Fuel our enthusiasm - passion. Create the right conditions to unlock potential. Develop our strengths but address our weaknesses too. Embrace the process. Simple but not necessarily easy. Fuel our purpose.

4. Delayed gratification - discipline. Focus on what we want most, not what we want now. Resist the cravings and ignore the distractions; stick to the mission and vision.

5. Maximise our time - prioritisation. Time is precious, use it wisely. Prioritise activities and endeavours which make a direct contribution towards our purpose. Be "on purpose".

6. Get gritty - grit. Be resilient. Resilience is the number one predictor of success. It trumps talent every time. Don't quit anything worthwhile... ever.

7. Embrace adversity - courage. Every challenge is a marginal gain in confidence and credibility. Each obstacle is a potential reference point for self respect and societal contribution.

8. Adjust our frame of reference - optimism. Everything in life is a matter of perspective. We get to choose how we frame an experience. We can't influence everything but we can influence how we respond to what life throws at us. Be positive. Be kind. Be open to learning.

9. Be honourable - integrity. Do the right thing. Even when noone is watching, especially when noone is watching. When we do the right things, the right things happen.

10. Be Spartan - wholeness. Become our best selves, individually and collectively. Be grateful, be helpful, be prepared, be awesome, be Spartan!

There is a memorable piece in this book when the author describes a proposal from two potential partners in a business venture. De Sena explains to these guys that he has a morning routine congruent with his true north, and that if they want to convince him of their proposal, they should join in. His routine involves hours of burpees and other physical exercises which would have dissuaded most. But these men accept the offer, travel a long distance, participate in the ritual, and earn De Sena's respect through their attitude and effort.

De Sena recognised the Spartan spirit in these prospective partners. He observed the 10 principles in action. Their mindsets were clearly aligned, and they have since joined forces on a successful venture. They had collaborative DNA which is key for a true team.

True north = vision and mission. These spartan values = solid milestones along the way.