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The Warrior Mindset:Your CI – Commander's Intent
All education is ultimately self-education. The engine of self-education is self-discipline. You are enthusiastic which is understandable. You will have a natural tendency to read and rush through these missions. Do not.The text is designed to be simplistic. There is a good reason for this. Business is simple. There is no need to add layers of irrelevant material, which only confuses the stupid and gives excuses for inaction to the lazy. If you are going to make millions selling used cars, which you can, or millions mowing lawns, which you can, you do not have to understand the wave theory of economics. In battlefield planning, there is the concept of Commander's Intent or CI which is the military version of “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Don't make the battlefield planning too complicated because in the heat of battle, innumerable variables will dictate the proper course of action. What is the CI? Say it direct, fast and simple. Take the village. Destroy the bridge. As the great philosopher Mike Tyson noted, “Everybody's got a plan until I hit them.” We have our CI, to be rich and retired within twenty years. Stay focused. You are an operator. Tell me what to do and then get out of my way and let me do it. We have our warrior goals. Within two or three years, you should be in the top ten percent of your chosen profession. You will probably be earning between $80,000 and $100,000 a year. Using our Master Success System, the business doesn't matter, so you can accomplish this objective being a waiter, cab driver or a chimney sweep –choose one and no excuses. Over the next twenty or less years, you will live frugally but comfortably. You will become an investor. Real estate will be your primary investment vehicle but other forms of investment will be considered. For example, your successful business could prove to be a very valuable asset. This Master Small Business Course is not about a particular type of business. It is about you. It is about you saying to yourself that you are too good to wear a cheap orange apron selling screws while getting screwed working for short money. You deserve more. Take it for yourself and your family. All of the Master Success Courses are about self: self-education, self-reliance, self-confidence and self-discipline.  An outsider might read the physical requirements and think, “Gee, I can do thirty push-ups in two minutes. Gee, I bet I can march twenty miles with a thirty-pound pack.” You know that being a warrior goes way beyond a few physical tests. There is almost a masochistic stubbornness to the warrior mentality which will not allow you to quit for any reason when totally exhausted and expecting the truck to pull up, you instead hear the sergeant say, “OK, now let's walk back.” Why do this? There are lots of easier jobs and no one is going to think less of you for taking a cushy option. You will be like them, average. To be extraordinary, a warrior, you must be self-motivated and self-determined and stubborn. Start telling your family and friends that you will make a six-figure income and you'll be wealthy and retired within twenty years. Yes, they will tell you that you are crazy. Yes, average people are going to tell you that there is nothing wrong with being average and taking an average job. In the top tier of moneymakers, you will find different types. There are older people, like sergeant majors, who after a few decades have worked their way to the top. There are the well educated who automatically give the good jobs to each other like the graduates of the service academies. There are the lucky who happen to be in the right place at the right time getting noticed by the right people, like some medal winners. Then there are “Thanks, Dad,” people who are handed success on a silver platter, the general's kids. Then, there are the few stubborn SOBs. You probably fall into this last category. You can succeed but it's going take a lot of work and your share of bumps and bruises. Yes, you accept this. Every day, read your Military Action Principles™. Forget everybody. Yes, you accept that some people have an easier course to success. Yes, in most cases, stupid, lazy, unfit and selfish are forever. Yes, in your case, living with the warrior spirit is forever. Show me the way and then get out of my way. These Master Success Courses are your way. Imprint this CI in your mind – RICH AND RETIRED IN TWENTY YEARS OR LESS. How do you stay self-motivated? It begins with taking twenty minutes of quiet time, soulful reflection, each day. It is keeping you on track, focused. Where have I been? Where am I now? What is my CI? Where did I screw up today? What should I have done differently? What have I learned today? How can I improve tomorrow? Inch by painful glorious inch you advance. Have others done what I want to do? Why not me? Are the people around me a positive motivating influence or are they losers or simply average? You must not zoom through these missions. You do not want to be the “ninety-day wonder,” all flash and no substance. Completing one or two missions per week is the max. There is no rush. Your self-education will continue until you complete the CI in twenty years or less. Then you can put on your flip flops, pour the Margaritas, relax and figure out how to make the world a better place for everyone else. Your world will be exceptional. Take your time. Read the stories over and over until you get the core of the message. Watch the video, including the weekly instructional updates. Take a walk and think how you can apply the lessons to your situation.  Find the leaders in your industry. Who is doing or is a veteran and has done what you want to do? You will find these people in your trade associations and at conventions. Copy success. Find the civic and business leaders in your community. Start networking. Get known as a leader yourself. Who are the movers and shakers? Are they at city hall or the country club or the diner? Are they members of the church or the Rotary or the Chamber of Commerce? Stay motivated by getting with the BillFitzPatrick.com Forums and the weekly instructional video updates. Choose your business and start knocking on doors. Start making mistakes and learning. Keep going. You can do this. No one forced you into the military or forced you to become a black belt. You made this decision for yourself. It was a good decision. In this defining moment, realize that your warrior experience has prepared you for financial success. Really, the only way you can screw this up is to not do it. You are a warrior. You deserve success. It will not be given to you but you have the skills to take it.  Bill FitzPatrick Sergeant, USAR (67-73) Shaolin Master Go to Mission 1
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