Once you have your ultimate goal firmly in mind, you can start to employ the strategic thinking from the Way of Go to what you are doing (or any other strategic planning model for that matter). Note, your success is tantamount to knowing the goal and keeping it in mind.

The lessons from the Way of Go suggest that you explore the many different strategic avenues available to you via GO'S RULES. Looking at the spectrum of strategy from its various axes, you can get a better sense for the whole of what you need to do.

This is the part of the Way of Go where synchronic analysis is necessary. Before embarking, you sit down and look at the situation as-is. It's called synchronic, because it is with - syn - the time - chron - you're in right now.

Contrast this to diachronic thinking: dia- meaning through. Diachronic thinking is watching the past and the future and looking for the trend. It is going with the flow. It's striking while the iron is hot.

You do synchronic thinking when you're reevaluating what you should do. Before making the big investment, deciding what school to go to, who to marry, etc. you best do some reflection out of the emotional roller coaster - diachronic influence - that brought you to where you are.

Rock, then roll.