Plus, Minus, Equals

Train with people better than you, worse than you, and equal to you.

In Ego is the Enemy, author Ryan Holiday discusses the Plus, Minus, Equals strategy he learned from UFC veteran Frank Shamrock.

According to this strategy, you should seek and train with three types of people:

• The Pluses: People who are better than you.  These are the people who can punch holes in your game, help you take your performance to the next level, and keep you humble.
• The Minuses: People who are worse than you.  This is where you can train and establish the areas where you lack proficiency.  Additionally, the Minuses keep you on your toes by reminding you how different it can be to spar against someone inexperienced.
• The Equals: People who are as good as you.  This is where you can truly test your current skill level, and get realistic feedback on your performance.

Further study:

• Frank Shamrock: A martial arts all-star and coach we can all learn from.
• Plus, minus equals - a powerful strategy for personal development
• Ego is the Enemy, by Ryan Holiday