When the Problems Don't Let Up

The person writing in has been applying the principles—detachment, ego-checking, trust, influence, listening, respect, care, balance—and still finds themselves at a breaking point. Customers, coworkers, and a boss come at them all day. Rush hour traffic with two to three accidents every commute. A family they love but that has its own list of problems. Jiu-jitsu is the only thing keeping them sane. The question is straightforward: what is the protocol when life just starts to feel exhausting and the problems don't seem to let up?

Jocko's response begins by acknowledging that the writer is already "getting after it"—sometimes when you don't want to be. But there's a limit. "After too long of a while, you have to recognize that this is not what life is supposed to be." He notes that people can sustain a lot—prisoners of war survive for years on bugs—but there is a difference between bearing a lot because you have no other choice and bearing a lot because you're stuck and not making a change.

The Strategic Exit Plan