Adapting without conforming

Success in covert operations is all about adapting without conforming. [Image](https://) Greetings Everyday Spy, I’ve never been a fan of rules, processes, or guidelines - no matter who told me to follow them. That explains both my short military career and my happy transition into espionage! And if there is anything you’ve taught me since we started talking, it's that you don’t like to conform either. [Success in covert operations is all about adapting to norms that benefit you without conforming to rules that hold you back.]( It's why you have a cover job, but never do your cover job better than you spy after the workday ends. It’s why you have friends, colleagues, and peers that trust your alias and confide in you, but you never confide your secrets to them. And it’s why you push yourself further and have higher expectations of yourself than anyone else around you, but you don’t tell anyone how lonely you feel or how crazy your goals really are. Running my own business has been the closest thing I’ve felt to running an operation since I left CIA. If you run your own business or manage someone else’s business, then you know the pressure of non-stop demand, constant change, ceaseless experimentation, and all-out risk taking. Sometimes you do it out of need. Sometimes it’s because you're bored. But always it’s because you want to succeed more than you already are. Success in business is all about adapting to norms that benefit you without conforming to rules that hold you back. Business is the mirror image of covert operations. And guess what…? Covert ops are the mirror image of everyday life. Stop letting yourself get frustrated by worthless rules, outdated processes, and pointless guidelines created by cowards who never spent a day in the field beside you. Do what you do best – take risks, drive change, and embrace experimentation. When you do, the people who love and trust you most will love and trust you more. And everyone else… well, they are too busy conforming to the old life to adapt to the better life you are building. Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - [Slip into the mind of spy today with Shadow Lessons.]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043