Chapter 1

Question 1

The Promise: The “Ready State” of the Martial Artist

Answer 1

A condition of working, doing, and being in which the mind is clear and constructive things are happening. It’s a state that is accessible by everyone, and one that is increasingly needed to deal effectively with the complexity of life in the twenty-first century.

Question 2

The methods I present here are all based on two key objectives:

Answer 2

1. Capturing all the things that need to get done—now, later, someday, big, little, or in between—into a logical and trusted system outside of your head and off your mind; and
2. Disciplining yourself to make front-end decisions about all of the “inputs” you let into your life so that you will always have a plan for “next actions” that you can implement or renegotiate at any moment.

Question 3

The “Mind Like Water” Simile

Answer 3

Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’t overreact or underreact.

Question 4

Anything that causes you to overreact or underreact can control you, and often does.

Question 5

Managing commitments well requires the implementation of some basic activities and behaviors:

Answer 5

1. First of all, if it’s on your mind, your mind isn’t clear. Anything you consider unfinished in any way must be captured in a trusted system outside your mind, or what I call a collection bucket, that you know you’ll come back to regularly and sort through.
2. Second, you must clarify exactly what your commitment is and decide what you have to do, if anything, to make progress toward fulfilling it.
3. Third, once you’ve decided on all the actions you need to take, you must keep reminders of them organized in a system you review regularly.

Question 6

The Basic Requirements for Managing Commitments

Answer 6

Managing commitments well requires the implementation of some basic activities and behaviors:

1. First of all, if it’s on your mind, your mind isn’t clear. Anything you consider unfinished in any way must be captured in a trusted system outside your mind, or what I call a collection bucket, that you know you’ll come back to regularly and sort through.
2. Second, you must clarify exactly what your commitment is and decide what you have to do, if anything, to make progress toward fulfilling it.
3. Third, once you’ve decided on all the actions you need to take, you must keep reminders of them organized in a system you review regularly.