Winning the Game of Life !

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When life hands us disappointment, failure, downturn and like, It's an indication that the time is ripe for some self-reflection and to ask ourself - How well are we playing the game of life and whether we are adequately equipped to play and win in this tricky GAME of life ?

With its uncanny nature and all the idiosyncracies, life always leaves us guessing about what's coming next. The unpredictable and uncertain nature of life never allow us to gain a grip over things and we tend to lack proactivity in addressing the challenges that life throws at us. Amidst all this, life still rolls on and leave us gasping to catch up with its' speed and pace. Though we can never be hundred percent prepared and equipped to deal with the twists and turns in life, but we can still manage to beat life at its' own game if we develop an effective strategy.

The strategy to win is plain and simple - incorporate in our repertoire of daily living, the elements of clarity, purpose and action which can effectively negotiate the after effects of unpredictability and uncertainty that life regularly poke us with.

Decode the acronym GAME, and voila, we arrive at 4 key elements for our survival kit in this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) impacted world. Let's find out what these 4 elements are :

• G for GOALS - Who wants to keep moving in life without reaching anywhere ? With the exception of a rocking chair (pun intended), I am sure none us wants to live like that - living in a haze of confusion and be lost in our life, achieving and accomplishing nothing. This is where GOALS play the saviour for us by providing the much needed clarity, both in terms of where we are headed and where we intend to reach. Goals bring purpose to our life and act as a springboard to propel us to greater heights of success. Establishing goals are mandatory for us if we want to succeed and accomplish our dreams in life. Goals work as milestones and checkposts, keeping us focused on the way forward. A life without goals is like a meaningless meandering that we engage in but with goals, it becomes a purposeful quest for bringing meaning to our life.

• A for ATTITUDE - To win the GAME of life, it's important to understand how we approach it - either we can see opportunity in every challenge and make the most of life or see challenge in every opportunity and forever be stuck in life. To win the game of life, it's essential to carry an attitude of optimism, possibility and action because dark days outnumber the bright ones in life and if we can keep our spirit up during tough times then life is a song and then there's no stopping us. So, let's build an attitude that provides us altitude.
  

• M for MOTIVATION - Consistency is the hallmark of a winner. When we talk about the  game of life then progress, even if it is small, holds the key to success. This in turn depends on our type and level of motivation. Motivation is that inner urge which keeps us going towards our goal and more big and distant the goal is, the more the need to build sustained motivation in us. The main aspect of motivation that we need to work upon is not whether we are  motivated or not, because we are always motivated for something but rather about whether we are appropriately motivated, in alignment with our life's purpose and goals. So, if we plan to win the game of life, then we need to develop and sustain motivation that's directed towards our goals in life and not away from them.
  

• E for EMOTIONS - Talking about the hyper connected world that we live in today, it is our social identity that's defining our success so building a strong and sustainable relationship with our social connections, networks and groups becomes very crucial. Emotions play a major role in building a long lasting relationship, both with self and others and winning the game of life becomes much easier. Emotions is perhaps the most less understood among the 4 elements being discussed and if we have to thrive on relationships/ connections then we need to start building on our emotional skills. A highly developed emotional skill is all about a better awareness, understanding and application of emotions, in self and others. Once developed, this skill renders us more balanced, in better control and in a better frame of mind to take logical decisions.