If you follow me on social media and see the videos I make from time to time, you may have seen this, but we’ll expand on it here.
On a recon patrol, the navigator is responsible not only for keeping the team on the correct azimuth, but also for knowing where along that azimuth they are at any given time.
Before GPS was common, we did this with a pace count.
The average human will take between 60-70 paces per 100 Meters. This will vary, of course, with stride length, load carried, terrain, and level of exhaustion. The navigator was responsible for knowing his pace count during different conditions, and he would count every time his left foot hit the ground.
The most common method of keeping pace was with a set of Ranger beads.
Every 100 meters, he would pull one of the lower beads down. When all of the lower beads were down at the next 100 meters, he would pull down an upper bead.
This method allowed the nav man to measure 5,000 meters or 5 klicks. Then he started over.
I recently started coaching a high performer who had accomplished a lot, but he told me that whenever he set a massive goal for himself, he all too often failed because the challenge seemed too big and the end result too far away.
This reminded me of the Navigator's job. With a long recon patrol, he could probably determine the entire pace count for a 10-kilometer route, which would be something like 7,000 paces.
But that would be awkward and nearly unmanageable. If he lost focus for a second, he could forget where he was, and that could place the entire patrol in jeopardy.
And by keeping the count in manageable sections, it is easier to remember that “At 300 meters we should see a stream on our right” or “We will cross over a dirt road at 750 Meters.”
The same applies to us. We absolutely need the mission, and we must plan the route and intermediate objectives, but the only way to get there is to be willing to take the steps necessary.
If you want to bench 225, the only way to get there is to add 5 lbs to your max.
If you want to publish a book, the only way is to write some words.
And while trying to take in the whole goal at once can be too daunting, taking one step can seem useless. It’s not. It’s necessary, and it’s the only way.
As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet."
So, plan big, step small, and keep stepping.
Life is War - Fight and Win,
John - Your arms dealer for the war of life
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