Main Idea
How fast does the world around you change? Are you bombarded by new demands on your time? How do you prioritize the different demands? Are you trying to plan and at the same time all the facts change?
Expansion of Idea
About ten years ago, my kids got really involved in chess. They went to some chess tournaments and they played it a lot. Of course, I ended up playing with them. Chess is about strategy, planning and being creative. They were having fun with it. And then someone introduced them to a team chess game called Bughouse. There are two games going simultaneously and partners can pass captured pieces to their partner who can on their turn place the pieces anywhere they want. I played it with my kids and their friends and it is a pretty wild game. You never know what is coming at you. The key to the game is to have a general game plan, watch your defensive strategy, and then focus on one move at a time. (And you play it with a pretty short timer.)
The pace of life right now reminds me of those games. We can navigate through these times, but we have to watch our defensive strategies and then we have to focus on what is the right next move. You can’t worry about what you would like to do. You have to look for the next wise move. Generally, there is a wise move that you should do. These moves may go against your emotional wishes, but normally it is clear what should be done. Most of the time, these moves will not be so significant that they are clearly winning strategies. Instead, they are moves that advance us in our businesses. Then we have to ask what the next wise move is. Then the next and the next. The moves can be as simple as thanking a customer for their business, or double checking the order to a customer who had a problem the last time. It may be to ask someone for help or advice. It could be resigning from a major customer who is creating havoc with your whole organization. The key is that we do what is wise, even if it upsets us. A very famous person said that wisdom is worth more than gold.
Start by Asking Yourself these Questions:
Am I pursuing wisdom in my job? (And my life?)
Are there decisions or actions that are not wise?
Can I fix those decisions?
Should I get advice or counsel on how to improve my decision making?