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In the novel Moonraker, Ian Fleming writes that in rigorously preparing for another dangerous and uncertain mission, James Bond “had achieved Clausewitz’s first principle. He had made his base secure.”
Fleming’s paraphrase of the famous war strategist’s philosophy is worth adopting not only by military generals, or secret agents, but ordinary citizens as well.
Securing your base means establishing a self-sustaining, shock-resistant “headquarters” that is well-defended against disruptions from external forces.
The foundation of a secure base begins with good health; life is invariably more precarious when one is not physically strong and resilient.
Because debt enslaves, so that what is “yours” is not your own, financial independence further stabilizes your footing.
Skills of all kinds, whether mechanical, domestic, or combative, allow you to rely less on others and more on yourself. Though security doesn’t equal complete self-reliance; tight relationships with family and friends solidify your base too.
Business owners should avoid “entangling alliances”; partnerships, no matter how apparently promising, rarely work out. This includes “partnering” with the overlords of social media, who, with a tiny tweak of their algorithms, can destabilize an entrepreneur’s entire enterprise.
Finally, a secure base requires secure beliefs. While philosophic and political positions can and should evolve over time, they should not be so unexamined, so lacking in well-studied context, that every current of change knocks you into an incapacitating stupor of confusion and cognitive dissonance. You should know why you believe what you believe.
The purpose of creating this kind of personal garrison isn’t to passively retreat from the theater of life; rather, it is to create a fortification from which to better launch your offensive operations.
As one of 007’s worthy antagonists explains: “Mister Bond, power is sovereignty. Clausewitz’s first principle was to have a secure base. From there one proceeds to freedom of action.”In the book "The James Bond Lifestyle", chapter 3 is called "Your Base of Operations" and talks about some of the same things, including how to set up your mission control center. And chapter 18 gives the "Rules of the James Bond Lifestyle":
- I never run out of cash.
- I accomplish, learn, give and enjoy something every day.
- My Base of Operations is always clean.
- For challenges, I improvise, adapt and overcome.
- I dress up, even at home alone
- I eat fruit, vegetables, drink water and sleep.
- I carry enough cash and credit to operate efficiently.
- I chose my contacts carefully and avoid villains.
- I never give up but I can change directions.
- I'm not afraid to pay for what I want.
- I get good value for my time and money.
- I circulate all things good, the bad stops with me.
- Everyone I meet benefits from the experience.
- I am always early for meetings.
- I edit out negative verbalizations.
- On the job, I'm always professional.
- I am constantly learning by reading a book a week.
- I tip freely like Bond.
- My car is filled up and ready to go.
- I rent what I need and take mental possession of it.
- I never run out of cash.
You can also find these rules here.
And along these same lines, my friend Sandy Shepard not only wrote the book "Fempowerment: A Guide To Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl" but she also hosted the podcast on the "Being James Bond" website.
The first chapter in Sandy's book is called "Cleaning Out" which gets you started in setting up your base of operations.
Both books are excellent and I highly recommend them!
Interesting days
Today - Cow Appreciation Day, Chocolate Day, Macaroni Day, Strawberry Sundae Day, Global Forgiveness Day and Tell The Truth Day
Tomorrow - Math 2.0 Day, Chocolate with Almonds Day and Scud Day
Next Tuesday - Shark Awareness Day, Mac & Cheese Day, Grand Marnier Day and Pandemonium Day
August 7 - Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day, International Beer Day, Aged Care Employee Day, Professional Speakers Day and Lighthouse Day
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