Imagine that I had in my possession the ultimate guide to life hacking. Imagine that I offered it to you with but one condition - that you must use it for good, not evil.

Would you be interested? Surely you would. Imagine all the wonders you could achieve with it!

Then I give you The Art of War, Sun Tzu’s epic and legendary masterpiece. It has survived since the 6 century BC for a single reason - Sun Tzu’s teachings work - both on the military battlefield and the battlefield of life.

Sun Tzu said: The Art of War, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtained in the field. These five constants are the foundation of everything Sun Tzu instructs. They are the undeniable and nonnegotiable characteristics of any life crusade. Thus, they will be our focus here.

So, whether you’re a full-time life hacker or not, Sun Tzu’s teachings apply to you. Odds are that if you’re reading this article to begin with you’re already a self-identified life hacker to a certain degree.