Sovereignty
Page 20
Sovereignty isn’t about doing what others expect you to do or what you “should” be doing. It’s about making your own choices and carving out your own path. What you have in your hands is the foundational framework for building a life you and those you are responsible for can be proud of.
I’ve highlighted the battle we’re fighting. I’ve shed light on our mission here as men. I’ve given you a valuable Code of Conduct that will help you on your way. You’re now armed with the Battle Plan that will allow you to set your plans and desires into motion.
What you do with this information is entirely up to you. What you need to understand, however, is that the only thing that separates ordinary men from extraordinary men is the decision to be extraordinary and the grit and perseverance to carry it out.
I urge you to take what you know now, read it, study it, internalize it, and live it. Understand that this battle never ends, and you, potentially for the first time in your life, are becoming the soldier you were designed to be. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes resilience.
You will face hardships on your journey. You will have to let go of some thoughts, behaviors, and people who are holding you back. Some will mock, ridicule, and leave you. You will be tempted to slip into default mode and pull the blindfold back over your eyes.
I could close out this book by blowing smoke up your ass and telling you how wonderful everything will be now that you have all this incredible information. But that isn’t reality. The reality is that the fight for your sovereignty is messy, exhausting, and bloody.
It’s my hope, however, that you aren’t looking for the path of least resistance but the opportunity to engage in the fight and the fortitude to see it through to the end. After all, it’s our ability to answer the call of battle that makes us men.
APPENDIX A
CODE OF CONDUCT OVERVIEW
SELF-RELIANCE
The ability and desire to be free from the dependence on anyone or anything else.
Mindset—No one owes me a thing.
Skill Sets—Cut the Cord, Find a Way or Make One
INTENTIONALITY
Living life with a clear sense of purpose and direction.
Mindset—Everything in life is a choice.
Skill Sets—Make Up Your Mind, Delegation
DISCERNMENT
The ability to recognize what is within your control and what is not.
Mindset—I focus only on what I can control.
Skill Sets—Daily Planning, Tactic-Focused
WISDOM
A desire to recognize and understand what is truth and what is opinion.
Mindset— I recognize and act according to objective truth.
Skill Sets—Qualify Your Sources, Question Everything
OWNERSHIP
A willingness to accept ultimate responsibility for the things in your life.
Mindset—I accept responsibility for my thoughts, my actions, and their consequences.
Skill Sets—After-Action Review, Empowering Questions
STRENGTH
The mental, emotional, and physical strength required to face all of life’s challenges.
Mindset—I am mentally tough, emotionally resilient, and physically strong.
Skill Sets—Make the Hard Path the Easy Path, Reset the Default
HUMILITY
Recognition that you don’t know it all and a receptiveness to new information.
Mindset—I am open-minded and always willing to learn.
Skill Sets—Be Curious, Include Others
INTEGRITY
Doing what is right regardless of the outcome.
Mindset—I do what is right and fix it when I’m wrong.
Skill Sets—Underpromise, Fail Fast
CONVICTION
The ability to stand on your own two feet and against popular opinion.
Mindset—I operate independently of others.
Skill Sets—Define Your Purpose, Take the Next First Step
SELF-AWARENESS
An understanding of why you feel and behave the way you do.
Mindset—I understand who I am.
Skill Sets—Margin, Replace the Script
DISCIPLINE
The ability to remain consistent in the face of hurdles, obstacles, and challenges.
Mindset—I am relentless in the pursuit of my objectives.
Skill Sets—Break it Down, Plant Your Flag
MASTERY
The desire to hone, refine, and fine-tune your skills and abilities.
Mindset—I learn from my victories and failures and continue to grow.
Skill Sets—Do Less, Master More, Permission to Experiment
COURAGE
The strength to act in the face of fear.
Mindset—I embrace my fear.
Skill Sets—Foster Courage, Contingencies
APPENDIX B
ONE-PAGE BATTLE PLAN
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
TWELVE-WEEK OBJECTIVES
Calibration:
Connection:
Condition:
Contribution:
TACTICS
Primary Calibration Tactic:
Secondary Calibration Tactic:
Primary Connection Tactic:
Secondary Connection Tactic:
Primary Condition Tactic:
Secondary Condition Tactic:
Primary Contribution Tactic:
Secondary Contribution Tactic:
CHECKPOINTS
30-Day Calibration Checkpoint:
60-Day Calibration Checkpoint:
30-Day Connection Checkpoint:
60-Day Connection Checkpoint:
30-Day Condition Checkpoint:
60-Day Condition Checkpoint:
30-Day Contribution Checkpoint:
60-Day Contribution Checkpoint:
AFTER-ACTION REVIEW
What did I accomplish?
What did I not accomplish?
What did I do well?
What did I not do well?
What will I do differently moving forward?
APPENDIX C
BATTLE PLAN TRACKER
APPENDIX D
RESOURCES
BOOKS
100 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Left of Bang by Patrick Van Horne
Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men by Stephen Mansfield
Mindset by Carol Dweck
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Relentless by Tim Grover
Resilience by Eric Greitens
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
WEBSITES
Order of Man (www.OrderOfMan.com)
Art of Charm (www.TheArtOfCharm.com)
Art of Manliness (www.ArtOfManliness.com)
Wolf & Iron (www.WolfAndiron.com)
PODCASTS
Order of Man
The Art of Charm
Art of Manliness
The Good Dad Project
The Great Man Podcast
Jocko Podcast
The MFCEO Project
Self-Made Man
WHAT NEXT?
I started this journey to reclaim my sovereignty over nine years ago. While there have been plenty of ups and downs, one thing has remained constant: the more I surround myself with other men who are on a similar path, the better off I am.
That said, when I began to reclaim my masculine power, it was very difficult to find other men who were interested in doing the same. It seemed the men I had previously found myself in company with were more interested in maintaining the status quo than they were in bucking the system. So I came up with a solution—an exclusive brotherhood of men who are all on the same journey a
s I am.
It’s called the Iron Council (www.OrderOfMan.com/IronCouncil), and, as the name implies, inside this brotherhood, you’ll find a council of men who are actively engaged in the processes and systems shared throughout this book. Many men think they have to go at it alone. While you may eventually find whatever it is you’re looking for on your own, there is infinite power in banding together with other men who will give you guidance, support, direction, and the occasional kick in the ass. When you join the Iron Council, you’ll have access to weekly sessions, participate in a fifteen-man Battle Team, complete weekly assignments, engage in weekly challenges, and interact in a customizable communication platform with hundreds of other men having thousands of conversations.
But more important than all that, you’ll learn that you’re not alone on this journey to reclaim your sovereignty and reap the benefits of the power that’s found when men stand shoulder to shoulder in a common battle toward a common purpose. The men inside the Iron Council are rekindling relationships, connecting with their children, starting businesses, getting promotions, losing weight, and building their bank accounts. That said, I’m not interested in blowing smoke up your ass. The Iron Council works only if you work. As the adage goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
You can tap into the Iron Council, pay a few bucks a month, and tell everyone you’re part of something, but unless you’re willing to put forth the effort, you’ll likely experience the same results you always have. But if you can commit to join us with an open mind, step outside of your comfort zone, and do some things you wouldn’t normally do, I have no doubt that you’ll experience a transformation unparalleled at any other point in your life, like many of our members have.
The Iron Council is not the end-all, save-all, but it might just be the resource you need to kick-start your journey to sovereignty. Join us at www.OrderOfMan.com/IronCouncil. See you inside.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would be lying if I said I was able to accomplish the writing of this book on my own. The fact is, I could not have done without the support, guidance, and direction of countless men and women who have encouraged me to share the message within the pages of this book.
I want to thank Sandy Smith for cleaning up the words and thoughts I failed to adequately express. It’s because of her, the message is clear, concise, and coherent.
I also want to express my gratitude to my designer, Juan Eddards, for making this work look so good. I fear the words I used to express my ideas won’t live up to the quality of work he’s done in making this a book you’ll be proud to hold.
To my publisher, Jesse Krieger, and his team at Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, you’ve done an amazing job in keeping this project on track. I’m not sure there’s another team out there that could have met the timetable and quality we worked so hard to create.
And, to my brothers inside the Iron Council, you will never fully know how much I appreciate you. This, quite literally, would have been impossible without you. You are among the few who have always believed in me and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Lastly, I want to thank the countless men who have gone before me and who are leading the charge in reclaiming what it means to be a man. You are leading from the front. You are forging new paths, and forgotten ones. You are exemplifying the Sovereign Man.