Samurai Strategies Book Review
You can check out the book here.
Although Musashi lived and fought in the 1600’s his lessons still remain valuable to this day, from the battlefield to the boardroom.
The 3 key points I gathered from Samurai Strategies include…
Be Prepared
Start from a position of power and be prepared. Show up early, do your research. This is the easiest way to gain the advantage from the beginning.
Seek Kaizen
Strive for improvement every single day, regardless of how small. Go to bed a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger – these minor accomplishments will compound over time.
You Cannot Afford An Ounce Of Doubt
Enter business deals, your workouts in the gym and any other matter with the mentality that you ARE going to win. Don’t allow doubt to creep into your mind.
Notable Quotes...
On Winning
“To succeed in today’s world, you too must keep yourself in “fighting Trim” through constant and continuing training. Like the samurai, you need both physical and psychological exercises to stay physically sharp and mentally alert. You also need to continue in training your “weapons” – the special skills or techniques required by your field of endeavour – to survive and prosper.
“Don’t get stuck on any one way of doing things. You are more likely to succeed if you change your tactics the moment it becomes obvious that the old ways are not working.”
“One must be prepared to go all the way in achieving great goals. The modern day equivalent of this attitude is demonstrated in many ways in business, fighting, gambling, and in sports, where individuals take high risks in pursuit of goals.”
“Every fiber of his being, both his mind and his body, was so focused on one goal; to win quickly and absolutely.”
“A warrior should always go into combat prepared for – and expecting – victory.”
On Preparation
“He taught that the warrior with the prepared mind is favored, no matter what weapon is used.”
On Living
“Musashi’s outlook on life was pure Zen, which teaches how to recognize and deal with reality in a detached, objective way – minus the emotions that make life such a trial for so many people.”
“Young samurai boys were trained to believe that death was preferable to failure and shame.”
“Throughout his lifetime, Musashi practiced his philosophy through constant study and training, never assuming that he had learned everything he needed to know, or that the little details would take care of themselves.”
“Not only did he not boast about his accomplishments, when he did talk or write, he played them down and spoke only in the humblest of terms.”
“Individuals should continuously strive to increase their knowledge and improve themselves in a comprehensive, holistic way. Musashi emphasized that success in one field or area contributes to success in other fields an insight that is often ignored in today’s world.”
“You must surpass today what you were yesterday (Kaizen).”
On The Mind
“The mind is the “Software” that directs physical actions.”
“In other words, training the body can change the software that runs the brain, altering the way we think and act.”
“Physical skills and knowledge may be worthless if you don’t have a strong spirit – in the sense of courage, determination, will power and vigor.”