The Code Breaker Newsletter - Issue #017 Turning 38 And The Mental Models of Success

Hey Code Breakers,

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Yesterday marked my 38th birthday. Some people see birthdays as a time of celebration. For me, they're more a time to reflect.

I view them as a time to reflect on both what I've accomplished and what I have yet to do. In this week's issue of The Code Breaker Newsletter, I'll share some of the models I use to ensure success. These models have helped me to fast track my growth and they'll do the same for you. If you use them.

These frameworks are not rocket science. But, because they're so simple, not everyone will use them. That in and of itself can be your advantage or your down fall, but that's up to you.

Frameworks Are The Shortcut

Everyone's Looking For But Few See

I first learned about frameworks when a basketball coach of mine gave me a book written by Coach K . I was only in 8th grade at the time, but something struck me about how Coach K worked with his players.

He didn't just give them plays to run on the court, he gave them mental models to use throughout life. He taught them how to read the opposing teams defense so they knew exactly which plays to call on offense. He taught them how to learn from each attempt to penetrate the other team's defense. Each iteration was an opportunity to learn what worked and what didn't.

By the end of the game, his teams knew exactly how to break the opposing teams down, expose their weaknesses and win!

This is what frameworks will do for you. They'll give you the structures and filters to analyze things through. And just like Coach K's teams, each iteration will increase your odds of success.

So here are the two of the top frameworks/mental models I use and how I use them:

Mental Model #1: The DAI Success Framework

We can all agree that the majority of people wonder their way through life. They lack direction. And although we'd like to believe this to be a modern phenomenon. There's ample evidence that it's been this way since the dawn of man.

It's survival of the fittest out there. It's the way the world works. Without a philosophy or mental model to guide you to success, the odds are against you.

That's why I've spent years studying success and the philosophies surrounding it. And after years of study, implementation, trial and error I've developed my own. It's a philosophy I shared in issue #10, and I've found it to be one of the most successful mental models to ensure success.

It's called The DAI Success Philosophy and it consists of four simple steps. Simple, but powerful.

1. Set Your Prime Direct

2. Direct Your Mind In Alignment With Your Prime Direct

3. Adapt Based On Your Learnings And Understandings

4. Iterate Your Way To Success

Step 1: Setting Your Prime Directive

Your Prime Directive is your mission in life. It's what primes everything you do. It's the filter through which you interpret if something is right or wrong, good or bad, aligned or not.

It provides clarity on the direction you're intending to go. Ultimately, it's what you want to be known for. You want to be known for what you accomplish in the 3 core areas: health, wealth, and relationships.

An easy way to think about it, is what you'd want said about you at your funeral.

Step 2: Direct Your Mind In The Direction You Want It To Go

With your Prime Directive set you direct your mind in the direction you want it to go. But unlike a goal, you direct your mind towards the next checkpoint along your journey. It's focusing on the journey and the milestones as opposed to solely focusing on the end point.

This keeps your focus on the present moments and getting the most out of the here and now. If at some point you realize you're off course, you simply acknowledge that fact. Apply your learnings and understanding and redirect yourself towards the next checkpoint.

Step 3: Adapt To Ever Changing Circumstances

Life comes at you fast. No matter how good you are at setting your Prime Directive and Directing your mind, shit happens. That's when it's vital to make adaptations along the way.

If you notice you're off course at some point, you acknowledge that fact. You apply the learnings and understandings you've gained. You direct your mind back towards your next checkpoint. And you apply the adaptations needed to move forward.

Step 4: Iterate Your Way To Success

Nothing happens without action. You can think about your Prime Directive and process potential Adaptations. But, without movement, without iteration, it's futile.

If you want the process to create success, then you must Iterate. It's the only way.

For more on the The DAI Success Philosophy you can sign up for my other newsletter Reflections. As a welcome gift for signing up you'll get an in-depth introduction to the process. I'll also send a link to all my top tools and an intro to DAI Success Journaling.

You can sign up for the newsletter here 

Mental Model #2: The 5 Paragraph Order

The second framework/mental model I use is a communication framework I picked up in the Marine Corps. It's called the 5 Paragraph Order.

The purpose of the five-paragraph order is to issue an order in a clear and concise manner. It does this by a thorough orientation of the area of operations. It's easy to overcomplicate, but there are really only two things you need to know about it.

First, it's used by the Marine Corps and most western militaries to keep things clear and concise. When you consider how chaotic things get on the battlefield it's obvious it works.

Second, as I mentioned previously it's easy to overcomplicate. In civilian circles it's important to keep it simple. Below I'll share what each of the five paragraphs are for as well as a simple example for each.

Note that while it's called the five paragraph order it doesn't need to be a paragraph. A simple sentence or two for each will likely be more than enough. However, learning to communicate using this framework will simplify your communication. And it will keep it clear for all those involved.

The five paragraphs can be remembered by using the acronym SMEAC. They are:

S - Situation

• What is the situation?

• Where are you now and where do you want to get to?

M - Mission

• What are you looking to do?

• This is the heart of things. It covers the who, what, when, where, and the why.

E - Execution

• This is the "how to" information needed to complete the mission.

A - Administration and Logistics

• What admin and/or logistical components need to be in place.

C - Command and Signal

• Command: Where will you be before, during, and after the operation?

• Signal: How are people to get in touch?

Here's how this would play out if you were a sales consultant speaking with a client.

(S) - Sales are down and you'd like to improve them before next quarters financial reports.

(M) - Your goal is to increase sales by 15 - 25% versus last quarter. This will catch up from last quarter's losses and get sales back on track.

(E) - We'll do this through weekly sales coaching and roll plays. The roll plays will focus on creating consistent messaging and process execution. This will increase accuracy in the pipeline. It will show where to focus coaching. And it will provide a roadmap for future coaching and training.

(A) - Weekly roll plays will need to be scheduled. These can be done virtually or in-person.

(C) - I'll be available for one-to-one calls from now until the project is completed. Slack can be used for quick questions and calls can be scheduled if questions can't be answered in Slack. Once the project is completed we'll hold a separate meeting to review the results and set next steps.

Ensuring you touch on each of the five elements will ensure all angles have been covered.

Using these mental models will help you think through things more effectively. As you use them and become more familiar, you'll see how they speed up your thinking.

Decisions will become easier. Communication will become clearer. You'll find yourself becoming more effective with everything you do.