He was a master of soft power and the father of agile warfare.

This post originally appeared onJamesClear.com.

He wrote, In war, the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.

He advised his troops to make your way by unexpected routes and attack unguarded spots.

And he further stated, Military tactics are like water.

For water, in its natural course, runs away from high places and hastens downwards.

So, in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak.

His approaches can be applied to everything from business growth and goal setting to weight loss and habit formation.

Lets talk about how to apply military strategy to our daily lives.

We give a shot to write a book in a noisy environment.

We have a go at eat healthy in a house filled with sweets and sugar.

We attempt to do our homework with the television on.

We attempt to concentrate while using a smartphone filled with social media apps, games, and other distractions.

Good military leaders start by winning easy battles and improving their position.

They wait until the opposition is weakened and morale is low before they take on their foe directly.

Why start a war by fighting battles in areas that are well-defended?

Why start new habits in an environment that makes progress difficult?

Sun Tzu would never lead his army into a battle where the terrain was not to his advantage.

He would not begin by attacking the point where the enemy is strongest.

Sun Tzu, Master of Habits

Lets adapt Sun Tzus teachings to building better habits.

Here are a few examples that take his thoughts on war and apply them to daily life.

Example 2:

Sun Tzu:He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

Its also a matter of strategy.

Move to a less distracting environment.

If youre very overweight, dont venture to follow a workout program for college athletes.

Start with a manageable change.

Switch to a time of less resistance.

Build your habits where it is easy to do so.

Create a game where the odds are stacked in your favor.

It sounds simple, but how often do you find yourself fighting difficult battles and ignoring easy ones?

There is plenty of time to fight the difficult battles.

Win the easy battles first.

The smartest path is to improvement is the one of least resistance.

Fight battles you are destined to win.