There are two main strategies in life: offense and defense. Sadly, most people in our society live on defense.
My best friend from the Army, Jay Tiegs, and I have set out to change that. We are working on a book that this Substack is named after. The title of our manuscript is Life on Offense: Do HARD Things. Jay and I plan to publish the book next year to explain our framework on how to live intentionally, on one’s own terms. In the meantime, we’ll give you a sneak peek through this Substack.
We see too many people going through their days passively, just following routines and mirroring those around them. Jay and I sympathize and understand exactly why things are this way. Most of us live how we were raised and conditioned to act with other people, work at our job, or even how to spend our free time. Our actions are more or less predetermined by where and when we were born. Like non player characters (NPCs) in a video game, most of us are stuck in our mundane routines. We have a constant urge to simply go with the flow.
A defensive strategy is the next level up from being an NPC. Defense focuses on responding to what comes your way, whereas an offensive strategy requires gaining and using a competitive advantage. Life on offense means being aggressive and assertive. It is about getting crystal clear on what you want and pursuing that outcome without letting other people hold you back. Life on offense means having the courage to push boundaries, make bold plays, and score.
Jay and I noticed in each of our lives that we had been mostly on defense with an offensive play here and there, and it wasn’t producing results. We felt like we were just responding to life’s challenges. The idea of living on offense sounded good, but society and especially military life culled us into conformity. A career with good job security and a comfortable lifestyle can be an addiction. We got used to the carrot at the end of the stick and forgot about our dreams. After years of conditioning from going with the flow, we got too comfortable with our normal routines and became averse to change.
Around the time Jay and I left the military, each of us had gone through a divorce and fairly significant milestones that made us reevaluate how we were living. We each began to develop philosophies about how to live intentionally and with maximum control of our own destinies. We didn’t want to be on the sidelines just watching life pass us by anymore.
One of our biggest inspirations for writing Life on Offense is from an inspiring speech by President Teddy Roosevelt back in 1910 in Paris. Part of that speech is now referred to as the “Man in the Arena.” This quote has been read countless times on the Do HARD Things podcast and we refer to it when we need to get our lives in gear and back on our A-game:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Take a second to ask yourself: are you in the arena or are you on the sidelines? Are you the critic or the “doer of deeds?” The criticism from others, the failings and shortcomings, and the bullshit beliefs in the back of your head don’t matter. It’s about getting in the arena, taking action and trying. It’s about getting knocked down seven times and getting up eight. If you are in the arena, you want to be playing on offense, not defense.
In case Roosevelt’s words didn’t resonate with you, below is a more modern depiction of a life of offense:
As shown above, the world has plenty of people on the sidelines. Most folks choose to just go with the crowd. A lot of us are living a reactive life while complaining and venting to others who are doing the same thing. Whereas a person who controls their future is on offense. Knowing where you are and where you’re going is essential to living intentionally.
Do you prefer to be fully plugged into watching a game with everyone else, or do you want to be someone creating instead of just consuming? Do you want to be the hero of your own story? If you choose to live on offense and do HARD things instead of staring at a screen, then stay tuned as Jay and I explain in-depth our framework to dominate life.