Consider next your own forces and that of the enemy—that is, his probable strength and how it compares with yours.
Consider the enemy's probable MISSION[12] and what he will probably do to accomplish it.
Consider the geography of the country so far as it affects the problem—the valleys to cross, defiles to pass through, shortest road to follow, etc.
Now, consider the different courses open to you with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
You must, of course, in every case know what you're up against before you can decide intelligently what you're going to do.
In making your plan always bear in mind not only your own MISSION, but also the general mission of the command of which you form a part, and this is what nine men out of ten forget to do.
[951]. The Decision. It is important that you should come to a clear and correct decision—that you do so promptly and then execute it vigorously.
The new Japanese Field Service Regulations tell us that there are two things above all that should be avoided—inaction and hesitation. "To act resolutely even in an erroneous manner is better than to remain inactive and irresolute"—that is to say do something.
You are now ready to come to a decision, which is nothing more or less than a clear, concise determination of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. Frederick the Great, expressed the same idea in fewer words: "Don't haggle."
Having settled on a plan, push it through—don't vacillate, don't waver. Make your plan simple. No other has much show. Complicated plans look well on paper, but in war they seldom work out. They require several people to do the right thing at the right time and this under conditions of excitement, danger and confusion, and, as a result, they generally fail.