Most people know Sun Tsu (or Sunzi, Sun Tse,…) for his treatise The art of war. Don’t worry. This is not some article on war and tactics. We are going to rip a thought out of Sun‘s book and use it for good in daily life.

By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy’s must be divided.

One of the principles underlying this paragraph is that you cannot fight something you do not perceive. Sun Tsu says:

Make it visible!

You cannot fight an invisible enemy. Who is the enemy? Maybe the question should be What. Think of it not only in terms of business –  think of changing habits, managing projects,…

1. Define things
   Especially when working in a team. It is important to speak and think of the same things. Otherwise there will be ill communication.
2. Write things down
   You will forget things you do not write down. If you do not forget them they will occupy your memory. If you have to concentrate to remember you will not realize the important things.
3. Make a plan
   Once you layout the facts you know what, when and where. Guess what: If you have a map of the solar system it is easy to find a hidden planet.
4. Stay reasonable
   You do not need a map of the universe if you want to plan a trip to New York.

Especially when changing habits, you will have to stick to point 4. Based on field reports and studies from some clever scientists it takes at least 30 days to change a habit with a lasting effect.

Just in case, you wonder who this Sun Tsu guy is and what The art of war is all about, then start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_War

If you really want to read the book I really suggest this one: Sunzi Speaks: The Art of War