Life is like a game of chess. The people who are really successful are the ones who have the vision of the future. Chess should be the great leveller. I mean when you think about it, what could be more even than a game of chess? Everyone, regardless of ability, skill or experience has to follow the same set of rules. A Chess Grand Master can only move pieces the same way that a novice can move them, within the finite confines of a 64 square board.
So why are some people more successful than others? Simple, Vision! A great chess player can recognise patterns and see many moves ahead. And it’s the same with life. Not everyone starts out in life the same, but once you’re here you pretty much have the same opportunity as everyone else. The millionaire and the beggar have the same number of hours in the day. It’s how they use those hours that makes a difference to their fortune.
Most people however approach life the same way that many people, (admittedly myself included) approach Chess. Like most kids, I learned to “play” chess when I was a young but it’s never been a priority to learn to get good at it, and I’m OK with that. Being a Chess Grand Master has never been an ambition for me, but I do CHOOSE to get good at life!
Life, like Chess, has patters and requires vision. Like Chess, it is something that you can choose to Master if you wish. Do you take the time to Plan what you’re doing many moves ahead? It has been said that most people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their own lives.
It looks something like this…
Most people end in a scenario not of their choosing. They’re not where they are in life because they made a conscious decision to be there. They’re there because without a clear vision and strategy for their lives, circumstances just carry them along like driftwood in a river. Like the novice Chess player, they arrive at their circumstance then start trying to work out a strategy of “where to from here?” Like the Chess player, they’re not thinking multiple moves ahead, they’re just thinking of making the next move. Once they do that, they’ll see how life responds then they’ll plan their next move after that.
So you start out with your “Dream Career”, your “Dream Car”, your “Dream House” but then what happens? Well you get offered a job, it’s not your dream job but hey, you need the money now and you can get your dream job later right? So you settle for the first job you can get. Then you buy a car, it’s not your “Dream Car” but hey, you can afford the repayments and you can get your dream car later right?
Most people go through their whole lives like this and make it to within sight of retirement before they finally realise that they’re not going to get all their “Dream” things later. So don’t let that be you. Start looking for patters, start planning 2 moves ahead, then 3, then 4. See how far you can stretch it. Sit down right now and ask yourself what patterns you can see in your life that have been holding you back. What patterns have been working for you? What patterns can you see in other people that have helped them to become successful that you may be able to incorporate yourself?
For me personally, I have just recently started developing a “Personal Growth Plan”. That is a plan not just of where I want to be and the things that I want to accomplish in the future, but also my plan for how I want to “Grow” as a person in the next few years. If you were to sit down and write out your own “Personal Growth Plan”, what would it look like? What are the things that you want to accomplish as a person in the coming years. Take the time to really think about it. Write it out and once you’re done, please leave your answers in the Comments section.