Winning Through Attrition

In a study of the major wars that shaped the course of history, the strategist and historian B.H. Liddell Hart found that only 2% of battles were won due to a direct attack. The majority of successful armies throughout history, Hart writes, all had the “power of endurance to last.” As Ford put it, “You just have to find a way to stick it out, to prevail.” “Lengthen your timeline…It always takes longer than you think it’s going to take. That’s Hofstadter’s law. And even when you take the law into account, you’re still surprised.”

Ryan Holiday

Ultrarunning is about consistency, not a single big event like a 100 or 200-mile distance. If you find an ultrarunner, they are usually consistent—in what they do, what they say, and how they act. They know the battle is won over the long term by showing up daily, enduring sickness, injury, and weathering unexpected storms. It’s not one single race or event that earns you the label of “ultrarunner”; it’s more a mindset and a series of daily habits. The idea is that you have to keep showing up and putting in the work to achieve long-term goals.

Long timelines are what life is about. There’s no quick fix, shortcut, or substitute for hard work. Those who earn something quickly often suffer from imposter syndrome and struggle to maintain their rapidly achieved fame or success.

‘Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year and underestimate what they can accomplish in a lifetime’ 

When you stretch out the timeline, your odds of winning the war greatly increase. How about 2 or 3 years? You need to be realistic, but that’s not to say you can’t set a huge goal.

You are constantly engaged in micro-battles for your time, as I detailed in this post about the attention economy. Every day, you will face small tasks that take less than 2 minutes but are essential to becoming a better version of yourself. Go to war with yourself and WIN in the long run by overcoming the naysayers and the negative voices in your head. These small victories will help you succeed in your ongoing war of attrition against your own doubts and obstacles.

One caveat to this is that consequences create meaning. It’s not to say you should go on forever in your war of attrition, but something has to be at stake. That’s where signing up for a race puts you in the battle with the “100 miler monster.” You will take action in life when there’s a high penalty; otherwise, you will be lazy and unmotivated in your war of attrition.

Races are when the war comes to your doorstep—that one-on-one fight with the current version of yourself and the challenge in front of you. They provide the ultimate penalty, especially the ones where you could DNF (Did Not Finish). No training = no completion = no finish = no reward. Even if you do DNF, you will learn from the attempt. Racing keeps you honest.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Consequences create meaning and urgency. Your time is limited, but it’s often hard to see that, like the frog in the boiling pot of water. If you don’t recognize when things are taking too long or when time is running out, you risk never achieving your goals. Don’t let time waste away on trivial things—manage your focus.

Your health is your most critical currency, and many waste it away. Be aware of the ticking clock and the importance of each moment. Get out there before it’s too late and keep fighting, keep doing meaningful things, until you’re fully cooked and the war is over.