There are five common elements that every survival narrative consists of. While they may go by different names or forms depending on the story, they are nevertheless universal and are a framework for survival. These five elements are sequential, and meant to be adapted to your circumstances in whatever manner works for you.
Added up, the five elements result in a kind of tactical resilience that condenses into a handy acronym: REACH = Responsibility, Evaluation, Action, Confidence, and Happiness.
- Survivors realize in the midst of the catastrophe that they must take responsibility for what has happened; they accept the role they had in creating the situation they are in, and they honor their obligation to survive.
- Survivors spend energy on an evaluation of the situation by gathering information about the best way to proceed. Perhaps they consult wise people in their life or look to the examples of other survivors. They analyze the information they have and create their own plan for survival.
- Survivors take action, putting the plan they have created into effect. Sometimes this means aggressive action, sometimes this means strategic waiting. Regardless, they pursue their plan.
- Survivors maintain full confidence in the plan they have created, showing an unwavering commitment to the decision they have made to survive.
- Survivors find moments of happiness during the survival journey that buoy their faith in themselves and fuel their positive outlook.
REACH is more than just a handy acronym; it’s a mindset. It isn’t always intuitive. And you’ll notice that the framework is relevant for more than just the big life-or-death survival moments. I use REACH in my daily life to address challenges ranging from solving business problems to tamping down road rage. In fact, the REACH protocol has become the framework of our company’s culture. We triumph over our everyday problems and obstacles sometimes by strategically employing these principles multiple times a day.
REACH is a problem-solving mantra. The more you practice, the more reflexive it will become—so that you have the protocols at your fingertips before you find yourself in an emotional moment.
This formula may seem a little simplistic. But that’s a good thing. When you are at a low point and tensions are running high, what you need is simplicity. Anything complex will go out the window because the situation itself will feel very muddied. You want a reflexive mantra—REACH—that you can pull out to center your attention on and start the business of surviving.
Yes, this book is about moments of true survival, but REACH can be used as a way to live your life.