Ever had a feeling that there must be more to life?
It’s a feeling I know well. And I think I’ve figured it out.
Let me tell you what I mean.
I love games and puzzles.
Chess, poker, bridge, crosswords, codenames, splendour, monopoly…
If there’s a game involved, I’ll be there.
Have you ever thought what would change if you discovered you’d been playing a game with the wrong rules?
Take Monopoly as an example.
I don’t know about you, but I always try to get the oranges.
When a player leaves jail, they’re likely to land on an orange square. And jail is the most visited square on the board.
So the oranges give the best chance of
winning.
But imagine if a page had been missing from the rulebook all this time.
Instead of rolling two dice, you were allowed to roll three.
It would change the whole way the
game is played. You’d have a lot more options.
Optimal strategy might change
too. Going for the oranges could be a really bad idea now.
So what would the
optimal strategy be instead?
To be honest, I’m not sure.
It would require some thought. Maybe some experimentation.
Talking to a few people who were already playing with the new rules.
Reading up on new strategies.
Figuring things out during a game. And adapting for the next game using what you learnt.
This “figuring out” reminds me of my
sabbatical.
It took months.
But slowly I began to see that the rulebook I’d been following was incomplete.
And that I didn’t need to play by the old rules any more.
Rules like “when it’s your turn to move, get a job”…
Or “when it’s your turn to move again, get a promotion”…
Or even “you need to work the 9 to 5 for the rest of your life”.
Instead there were other rules available…
And these rules opened up options and possibilities.
Possibilities like “you don’t need to swap your time for money”…
“You can do work you enjoy”…
Or even “failing means you’re closer to success”.
It was a total revelation. And a relief.
Because deep down the rules I’d been following always seemed a bit “off”.
I thought the
rules weren’t telling me the full story. I just didn’t know why.
And once the
rules changed, I knew my strategy had to change too.
Sticking with my old strategy was tempting. After all, it was familiar.
A bit like rolling two dice in monopoly even though you could
roll three.
But I also knew I had to try the new rules now I’d seen them. Because the prizes could be so much greater.
And I’ve picked up the new rulebook and
started to play.
So keep in mind…
If you feel like something is missing, it might be because you’re following the wrong rules.
My suggestion? Take a look at the rules you’re following to figure out if they’re really right. And if they tell the full story.
My rulebook might not be the one for you. But there will be a rulebook which is.
Make sense? I hope so.
That’s all I've got for you today.
Catch you tomorrow.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me