I’m always impressed by ancient Chinese proverbs, one of my favourite goes like this,

“It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener at war”.

Life comes in cycles.

We have times of peace and prosperity, technological revolutions, and economic growth – times many think will last forever.

Inevitably nirvana ends and we have recessions, depressions, pandemics, and war.

Most men do not read, let alone study history.

Their only point of reference is their own lives and maybe stories passed down by their mothers and fathers.

Smart men look back in history to uncover patterns and trends that will reiterate in the future.

With the understanding that hard times WILL come, they prepare for war.

So how can you be a warrior in the modern age?

1. Get your finances in order

You should have enough money saved to last you at least six months without cash coming in from your job or business. This is your safety fund and will give you peace of mind if anything goes wrong. Half a year is more than enough to figure out your next move. Ideally you should work on developing multiple streams of income so if one thing fails you still have money coming in.

2. Strengthen your body

A men should not be weak. Our bodies are built to work. I recently watched a video of a guy who was hitting the gym at 99 years old, even when he turned 100 he was still going. When you stop using your body, it starts falling apart. There is no excuse for being a fat ass or a skinny twig, hit the gym and prepare your body for any obstacle that might come your way.

3. Learn a martial art

This is something on my to-do list. Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, it really doesn’t matter what you choose. Learn how to defend yourself in one-on-one combat.

4. Learn how to use a gun

It doesn’t matter what your political views are about gun-ownership it’s important to learn how to use one just in case you might have to. You might enjoy catching an Uber everywhere you go but it’s still a good idea to learn how to drive a car. You might get your food cooked for you, but it’s still a good idea to learn how to cook.

5. Master your mental health

When shit hits the fan the biggest obstacle won’t be enemy bullets, poverty, or a virus – It will be your mind. The mind can destroy a man even in times of prosperity, during hard times it is much more fragile. The best defences come through self-mastery. You can check out my free ebook Thriving if you want to learn everything I know about the topic.

6. Learn how to learn

Gone are the days of being rigid in your area of expertise. The world is changing at a faster rate than ever before, artificial intelligence will make many jobs redundant so it’s your responsibility to learn how to learn. Adaptability is the most important evolutionary trait, being a quick learner is the closest thing to a superpower a man can have.

7. Have basic provisions

Have some extra canned food stored somewhere for a rainy day. If you have a house look into having a small garden for growing vegetables. Extra bottles of water, medical supplies, backup generator, solar panels, copies of important documents and a second passport. Maybe even some bitcoin on a cold wallet for good measure. Look for the fragilities in your life and figure out a way to make them more robust.

Ask yourself the question,

“What needs to break for me to be ruined?”

When you have your answer work on fixing it.

I know it’s difficult to have all of these areas in order (I’m still working on it too), but the more things you can tick off this list the more anti-fragile you will become. You will be the warrior in the garden who is ready for anything.

What would you add to the list?