(This is Part 1 of a series.)
It was the time of the U.S. Civil War. In the spring and early summer of 1863, Union General U.S. Grant, in command of the Army of the West, was attempting to take the Confederate town of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Vicksburg held the main Confederate fort overlooking the Mississippi River, a river vital to the Confederacy. Union armies already held the upper and lower portions of the Mississippi. Thus, if Vicksburg were to be taken the Confederacy would be cut in two and transportation to the western Confederate States cut off.
In turn, the town of Jackson—50 miles to the east of Vicksburg—was the key to Vicksburg, because Jackson was the vital railroad depot supplying Vicksburg and Pemberton's troops.
Both Grant and Pemberton were aware of Jackson's importance, of course. Jackson's army, venturing out from heavily-defended Vicksburg, headed east to protect Jackson. Meanwhile Grant's forces, stationed south of Vicksburg, were now racing northeast to beat Pemberton's forces to Jackson.
Elements of Grant's army got to Jackson first and secured the town. This seemingly small success also meant that Confederate forces under General Johnston would not be able to link up with Pemberton and reinforce him.
This was the first stage in Grant's strategy, which, like that of all great generals, was the demoralization of the enemy, in this case Pemberton. In other words, the enemy is first defeated in his mind, and then the external defeat follows from that internal reversal.
Grant's army now moved west from the town of Jackson, soon encountered Pemberton's forces and attacked them.
In their disorientation at this surprise engagement, the Confederates suffered a series of small setbacks, each of which in itself was small, but which created a cumulative effect. Pemberton—repulsed backward and realizing that his army could no longer be reinforced—now directed his forces back towards Vicksburg.
In military terms, Grant now had the inestimable advantage that Pemberton and his troops—repulsed, retreating, cut off from reinforcements—had crossed the internal line of demoralization.
In his orders issued that day Grant was now confident of success. "...Relying upon the demoralization of the enemy," he said, "in consequence of repeated defeats."
In every battle there comes a moment of what network theorists now refer to as the tipping point. In a battle, it is the point where the enemy troops, and most especially their general, begin to suspect that they are lost. This is the moment of demoralization, the psychological turning point—which always precedes the actual physical defeat.
And indeed Pemberton and his troops were forced to surrender Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. This major defeat was preceded by the moment of demoralization, which happened to Pemberton and his troops at the instant when they collectively realized that they would have to retreat back to Vicksburg.
At this point let's recall something Napoleon said: "In war, the psychological is to the physical as 3 to 1."
And what did Grant say was the cause of demoralization?
Repeated defeats. Repeated defeats are the cause of demoralization, which then leads directly to defeat in the larger battle to follow.
So what does all this have to do with the price of bananas? Just this: If repeated defeats cause internal demoralization, which leads on to major defeat externally, then let's ask: What leads to major success?
A simple turnaround now leads to the secret of success in any endeavor: Repeated success leads to remoralization, which leads to larger success.
How do we apply this? Let's say that we have been losing in some activity, or just can't seem to succeed, or perhaps are feeling worn down and defeated by life. What to do in this circumstance?
The reversal of Grant's insight at Vicksburg, which we might call "The Law Of Small Success," tells us to begin doing whatever is necessary to begin having some small successes.
These small, repeated successes then lead to psychological remorallization—revitalization if you will—the tipping point of confidence and success-energy, the internal feeling that "I can do this," which in turn leads on to greater success.
For example, if we're trying to write a book and don't have much to show for it, we can try breaking the task into smaller chunks, like writing one page successfully or even just one paragraph. When that paragraph or that page is done and feels good, we can reward ourselves for the success: Maybe a little cookie, or a short walk, whatever.
The idea is to keep creating a string of small successes, because that creates an internal tipping point, an internal revitalization that leads directly on to larger success.
Or let's say you're having trouble with your courses in school, and worse, beginning to feel like a failure. The thing to do would be to bite off a small chunk somewhere, anywhere, like a short required history essay or a small math exam.
And then concentrate on writing that history essay or doing well on that math exam. Put time and resources into it. Do whatever is necessary to succeed on this one thing.
When you have achieved success on this one thing, no matter how small, it will lead to a feeling that you can tackle and succeed at the next small chunk, or the next stage—and you will. This string of successes in turn will lead to a moment of remoralization, a crossing of the line internally that will lead on to larger external success.
Here is the restated formulation of the principle:
To succeed, first create small successes.
Build up momentum.
Repeated small successes create larger ones.
(This is the end of Part 1. Go to Part 2.)
—jim sloman, 5.29.03 for 10.7.03
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