5 Strategies To Play The Game Of Life And Win

How we view and operate life largely determine our successes

The world is unfair but also beautiful. Life can be harsh but also bless us with memorable moments.

We believe that life is happening to us but what if it is actually happening for us?

That changes everything because that means we have a more active role in our own destinies.

Yes there are times when we have to be patient and wait out the storms. But we also need to give it direction otherwise we are just drifting.

In effect, it depends on how we see life itself: a fun game to be played or a brutal affair with sporadic happy moments to be experienced.

1. Our perception of life

So my first question for you, what is life?

Your definition is everything : it represents, in a nutshell, your mindset, your attitude, your lifestyle, your reaction to people around you.

I used to think that life is a struggle, that I needed to fight hard for everything. It was tiring.

Now I strive for what I want but I also play smart, sometimes I just need to retreat. It is not always about playing offense.

When I started venturing out of my comfort zone and exploring the world, changing jobs (proud job hopper here) , I realized that life is a game. It is a harsh game sometimes so we might as well have fun while we are at it.

While we do not control life, we can put certain odds in our favor.

2. Treat a failure as a lesson, not a destination

Failure is not fatal. It is also not final.

It you are still failing, that means you are not there yet. It is not the end until you say so. When I fail my first exam, I thought life was over.

I come from a highly academic background and I associated failing an exam to failing at life.

But I lived to see another day. And I decided I would rather pass the tests of life. Standardized tests should not define me and certainly not my successes in life.

Sadly at school, we are not taught how to be prepared to deal with obstacles life throws at us.

I learnt how to overcome the feeling of failure through self-help books, podcasts and Youtube. In a way, google was my life educator.

But it is only once we start encountering issues that we find ways to tackle them. If we do not dip our toes in the water, then we have not even started the game.

We are playing it safe.

3. Ask more, judge less

I was never an ‘asker’ in life. I was brought up to think that what is destined for me will come to me.

Well, what if I want half the dish on the menu in the restaurant for half-price and it is not on the menu? How do I know it is not possible until I ask?

Ps: I have totally tried this and it worked some times.

There are many other scenarii where we do not ask enough: promotions, raises, somebody we would like to date, extra responsibilities at work, help from our support system.

Sometimes we do not ask enough of ourselves, because we judge our own capacity to do something. But we have already condemned ourselves before even trying.

When we treat life as a game, we play happily like children. And what do children do? You got it right, they ask for what they want without fear of repercussions.

4. Do not compare, get inspired

As humans, we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. We feel envious or frustrated that we are not there yet.

We want more, especially that what we see others having.

We feel the need to have it or we feel bad because we have not attained that level of success yet.

But if we really want to play at life, we shall not compare. Because we lose points in this game as this action does not move us forward.

Contrary to fictional games, we are not competing against opponents, we can create our own lane and win.

What we can do is get inspired by others, whether it is Mr. Jones next door or Mr.Musk in Space. We can analyze their strategies and mix them with our own skills and boom, it is a win!

How about those who are lucky and have family money? That is not your game, maybe they are not even players. They are just enjoying their luck. Leave them alone. You do you.

5. Know yourself

Perhaps the most important rule of the game. Do not be a blind player, totally oblivious to your gifts or your weaknesses.

It is only when you know who you are or how you behave in certain situations can you entertain this game to the best of your abilities. By knowing yourself inside and out, you can learn to respond and not react.

Especially when you go through the testy phases of life, because it will be without any doubt, a rocky adventure (but a fun one).

As long as you know what you stand for, you can ride the wobbly waves like a semi-pro.

When you know who you are, you also refuse to get involved in games that have nothing to do with you to begin with.
We can say that there are no losers or winners in the game of life, because the end is the same for all of us.

But the aim is not to emerge as a winner at the finals. It is to score at every stage of the game, whatever that means to us.

By becoming the best version of ourselves, embracing our advantages, recognising our flaws, we own our field and play the best game.

CONTRIBUTED BY Shev K

Read More: 8 Money Mistakes To Avoid in 2022.

Read More: 3 Unconventional Ways to Simplify Your Entire Life