Every day, you’re in a dogfight, not in the sky at 600 miles an hour, but with distraction, hesitation, and the endless scroll. Most people think they need a better plan. The truth? You don’t need a bigger plan. You need a faster loop.
That loop is OODA: Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.
It was created by John Boyd, a fighter pilot who realized that victory didn’t go to the one with the best weapons or the perfect strategy — it went to the one who adapted fastest. Whoever looped through OODA faster controlled the fight.
I’ve seen this play out in my own life. For over four decades, I worked as a consultant, visiting nearly a thousand colleges and universities. Each day, I stepped into a completely new environment — one with new people, a new culture, and new problems. I had one day to listen, learn, and offer recommendations that mattered. There was no time to overthink or hide behind a safe script. OODA was my compass. Observe. Orient to the unique situation. Decide on the path that matters most. Act before the day ends.
Without OODA, I would’ve drowned in information or defaulted to generic advice. With it, I learned to see what really mattered. That’s why I believe OODA isn’t just for fighter pilots — it’s for anyone who wants to live awake in a chaotic world.
Step One: Observe
Observation is about seeing the world as it is, not as you wish it were.
Most people fail here. They react to assumptions, not reality. They see what confirms their beliefs and ignore the rest. But your ability to see clearly sets the foundation for every other step.
In consulting, this meant listening with curiosity instead of rushing in with answers. In life, it looks like noticing your own tight jaw before you snap at someone. It seems like seeing the hesitation in your child’s eyes when they say, “I’m fine.”
If you don’t pause to observe truly, you’ll act on noise instead of signal.
Try this today: before you react, take ten seconds and ask, What’s actually happening here?
Step Two: Orient
Observation gives you data. Orientation gives you meaning.
Two people can view the same event and interpret it in entirely different ways. One sees failure, the other sees a fresh start. The difference isn’t the event — it’s orientation.
Your values, stories, and habits shape your orientation. As a consultant, I had to orient to each campus’s culture. What worked at one school could backfire at another. Orientation was the difference between advice that stuck and advice that landed with a thud.
In your life, orientation means asking: Given who I am and what I value, what does this moment mean for me?
It’s the difference between treating a problem as a punishment… or an opportunity to grow.
Step Three: Decide
This is where most people stall.
We wait for perfect clarity. Perfect conditions. Perfect confidence. And while we wait, the opportunity vanishes.
Boyd’s insight was simple: speed beats perfection. A good-enough decision now is often better than a flawless decision later.
In consulting, I didn’t have the luxury of months of analysis. I had to decide — quickly — what would make the most significant difference for that institution. In your life, a decision looks like applying for the job you’re not 100% “qualified” for, or deciding to make the phone call even if you don’t know what to say.
Indecision isn’t neutral — it’s decay. Every delay means someone else’s OODA loop is running faster than yours.
Step Four: Act
Action is where theory collapses into reality.
Many people stop here. They observe. They orient. They decide. And then… they hesitate. They collect more information. They polish the plan. They analyze again.
But without action, the loop dies.
Action doesn’t need to be dramatic. It just needs to be real. Send the email. Start the conversation. Write the first sentence. Take the first step.
Action creates feedback — and feedback fuels the next loop.
The Magic Is the Loop
The brilliance of OODA is not the four steps. It’s the fact that it loops.
You don’t observe once and call it a done deal. You observe, orient, decide, act — and then you observe again. Each action gives you fresh information. Each loop builds momentum.
Life isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about looping fast enough that mistakes turn into learning before they turn into disaster.
That’s why OODA is so powerful outside the cockpit. It keeps you moving, learning, and adapting in real time.
A Mini OODA Toolkit
Want to put this into practice today? Try one loop:
- Observe: Notice one habit or situation that’s draining your energy.
- Orient: Ask, “What story am I telling myself about this? What else could it mean?”
- Decide: Pick one small experiment that aligns with your values.
- Act: Do it within the next hour.
That’s it. One loop. And tomorrow, another.
The Bigger Picture
Boyd used OODA to win dogfights. But the battle you face isn’t in the sky. It’s with distraction, fear, and inertia.
The world is moving faster than ever. Information, opportunities, and crises come at you at supersonic speed. The people who thrive are not the ones with the longest résumés or the most flawless plans. They’re the ones who loop faster — who observe honestly, orient wisely, decide quickly, and act boldly.
And then do it again.
Closing Rally
The OODA loop isn’t just a military strategy. It’s a way of living in the present.
You don’t need perfect conditions. You don’t need a five-year plan. You don’t need certainty.
You need a loop.
Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. Repeat.
The faster you loop, the quicker you learn. The faster you know, the freer you become.
Life won’t wait for you to get it perfect. Loop faster.
