The term Pick Your Battles is generally referred to a military strategy where it would be a wise thing to pick and

choose the battles. Fighting a war simultaneously on more than one front would make it difficult to secure either front. The basic idea being that when the troops are spread out, it is difficult to achieve success. The best way would be to mobilize the forces at a strategic point to ensure success and then move on to deal with the next issue. It is The Perfect Economy Strategy. Fight economically, conserving all your assets. Know your strengths and play to them. People use the term pick your battles to suggest that people would be well-advised to select a specific issue of importance to focus on, rather than trying to deal with too many things at once. Every class will not be a battle, but its important to be prepared for it when a challenge does arise. Knowing how to be selective about your battles, how to engage, which ones to engage in, and which ones to pass on, will be valuable. You dont have to voice your opinion on every single issue. In some classes there simply wouldnt be enough time! And in some cases, the right thing to do is keep your mouth closed. But when the time is right and you feel the nudge to add your opinion to the debate in the classroom, there are certain things that are beneficial to know. In a classic instance in which someone might be told to pick your battles, a parent might be struggling to deal with an unruly child. Rather than trying to address every aspect of the child's problematic behavior, the parent could pick one serious issue to focus on first, such as a tendency to stay out late. Once this issue had been dealt with, the parent could move on to other problems. While this approach might take longer than trying to handle everything all at once, there is a higher probability of success, since the parent can take the time to work through each problem carefully and precisely to ensure that it is dealt with. Sometimes, it can be tough to pick your battles. Many people are faced with situations in which multiple issues seem equally important at some point in their lives, and they may struggle to single out one to focus on. Sometimes it helps to ask for advice from a neutral party, to get an opinion from someone with an outside perspective. Especially when someone feels passionately about multiple issues, it can be important to remember that if you don't pick your battles wisely, you may end up failing at all of them, and ending up worse-off than you started. We have all had battles that we wanted to fight with every ounce of strength, battles that touched some part of our personal ire or passion. And we wanted to steamroll our position, regardless of who got hurt in the process. Yet, quiet leaders understand that not all battles are worth putting their relational capital on the line. They choose battles that need to be won, and are realistic about the fact that no one can win every conflict. Winning by injuring relationships only ensures that you will lose more battles in the future, simply because of the negative relational capital in your wake.

It helps us in many ways. 1. Youll be happier and more content. Your value will consistently increase and you will go places. Admitting that you are wrong, you messed up, or it was your fault now that is leadership on al levels as well. The willingness to stand out, admit that you wronged, learn from it and showing others that it is not weak to make a mistake or do something wrong will be memorable to others. As we learn through life, the buck truly stops here with you. You are responsible for your actions, no one else. You are responsible for your accomplishments and growth. And you are responsible when things go wrong.

2. It strengths your interpersonal relationships. Constantly riding your mate will put your entire relationship at risk. The key is to strike a balance between the battles you choose to fight and those you choose to let go. Dale Carnegie said, "Any fool can criticize, complain, condemn -- and most fools do. Picking your battles is impressive and fighting them fairly is essential." 3. 4. 5. 6. Balance your ends to your means. Do not get over extended. Make do with what you have. Leverage your assets. Use deception where you do not have the economic means to expand. Do not rely on technology and equipment, rely on your knowledge. Many people feel the need to fight a losing battle just to prove to themselves or others that they are committed to their cause. This is not someone who is ultimately concerned with their final objective, but rather someone who is concerned with impressing those around them. This kind of action has more to do with pride than it does with strategy or common sense. Dont get wrapped up in what other people think about your actions. Stay focused on your ultimate objective.

7. Do not proceed only out of pride. Stop before it gets worse.

But at the same time if it is not done carefully, it may lead to troubles. One can win an expensive battle, but it is usually not worth the risk. Try to spend your opponent's assets, draw them into the battle, bait them to fight the expensive fight. If a battle cannot be won then dont fight it. Not every conflict is worth turning into a major battle. There are certain battles which simply cannot be won no matter how much effort you put into them or what strategies you use. They are simply losing causes and fighting such battles does little to help you accomplish your ultimate objectives. The wise man will not let his pride get in the way of obtaining his goals, and fighting a battle which cannot be won is a prime example of allowing your pride to cloud your thinking. Always keep your ultimate objective in mind. Dont let your pride or anger interfere with your overall victory. I know that this is easier said than done at times, but it is a very important part of the game, and one that takes some self-discipline and practice to perfect. Have an overall plan for victory. Be willing to sacrifice a battle here and there in order to win the war in the end, and dont expend energy fighting a battle which cannot be won at any cost. Be rational and deliberate.

Practical Implications: Queen Elizabeth I of England ascended to the throne in 1558, at that time a secondary military power. Against her advisors she waited and did not engage Philip II of Spain. Instead she looked for more subtle ways of damaging him, she enlisted the Royal Navyto run pirate raids on his ships returning from the New World and using other less conventional techniques to destroy the Spanish Armada.

Queen Elizabeth I carefully picked her battles to conserve resources and slowly decimate a superior force. Take a minute to think about the last argument you had. Perhaps you argued with your spouse about taking out the garbage or doing dishes. Maybe you battled with your toddler to take a nap or with your teenager take his hat off inside. Then take a minute to think about what's really important to you. Chances are none of the things that you battled over will come up. Battling for your real priorities would likely involve fighting for you family's safety, changing a law to be more just, making your community a better place, and so on. There is wisdom behind Sun Tzus teaching. Fighting a battle that cannot be won is simply wasting your time, energy and resources. It is not the act of staying busy that makes you successful; it is what you are busy doing that matters in the end. Dont do something merely for the sake of doing something. Have a purpose and strategy behind everything that you do. Sometimes it is wiser to do nothing, at least what looks like nothing to the outside world, than it is to do something just because you think you need to be active. The act of waiting for the ideal moment or simply patiently mulling over the situation, is not the same thing as doing nothing. What may seem like doing nothing to other people, may actually be good strategy on your part. Do not act because of your concern about what other people may think; their thoughts should not influence your actions. Take time to meditate on each situation and you will know what you have to do.

It is necessary to Pick Your Battles wisely as it is humanly not possible to fight for every issue you feel strongly about. Doing so may just muddle you up and you may not succeed in any of them. In day to day situations people are faced with a number of issues which are important and have to be resolved immediately. In such cases it may not be easy to Pick Your Battles. Seeking outside help and delegating tasks would make more sense in such a situation. Many world leaders are distinguished from the common lot by their ability to pick battles and fighting for the serious issues rather than accepting things submissively.