This is the single greatest strategy for getting what you want.

It’s called a Xanatos Gambit.

There is a character in the 90s animated television show Gargoyles named David Xanatos.

He was known for devising plans in which every conceivable scenario would end in his benefit.

Like they say about the infamous gentleman thief, Lupin, ‘Even when he loses, he wins.’

And that’s exactly what a Xanatos Gambit is:

A plan in which every possible scenario ends in a desirable outcome for you.

That’s all well and good, but how do you orchestrate this?

First…

ELIMINATE THINGS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL

Minimize the amount of possible outcomes so that failure becomes less possible, or impossible.

The less possible outcomes, the more Xanatos you can make your plan. Dealing with two possible outcomes, is far simpler than dealing with twenty.

Second…

DON’T RELY ON GUESS WORK OR ESTIMATIONS

Those are used in Batman Gambits, not Xanatos Gambits.

Don’t guess what the opponent will do, give them no other choices, and never underestimate them.

Lastly…

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS TRUE 100%

It’s not possible to be truly 100% sure about anything. For that, you would have to know all the data in the universe.

This means a plan can never be perfectly Xanatos, just more or less so. Plan accordingly.

CONCEPT DEVELOPED BY LION EL ATON