Move your Pawn First

Actual quote - "Some of you won't move your pawn until you can see the checkmate."

I heard about Caleb Maddix a few years ago when he was 15 years old. I was shocked to hear about this teenager that had already blown past me in annual revenue and was about to earn his first million dollars. Recently, I listened to a podcast with Caleb at 17 (He's 18 now). He rocked me with 3 to 4 solid mindset bombs. I would like to share one with you, Mr. Overthinker and Mrs. Procrastinator.

Caleb was sharing how he has been able to achieve so much, so soon. He referenced sage advice he got from Oprah. "What is your next big move? Do that through to completion.". Caleb then shared a chess-related metaphor that hit me right between the eyes. "Too many of us are overthinking everything, planning and strategizing everything, that they don't do anything.  People are always planning out nine moves ahead until they can find their checkmate. In fact, they won't move their pawn until they can find their checkmate." Bombshell dropped! I'm no chess master and maybe this is exactly how Chess Masters play the game. Maybe they do "see" the entire board 9+ moves in advance. It's quite possible that Bobby Fisher and chess prodigies can literally see 5 different ways to win the game before they even move their first pawn. Or maybe, just maybe, the Chess Master chooses his next best move all the time. He can calculate the statistical probability of each potential move and chooses the best next move like Oprah says. He is willing to lose his pawn or knight or bishop to gain something greater. Risk is part of reward. He is not stalled or stuck in paralysis by analysis. He must make the next best move all the time to have a chance to win the game.

I find this to be so true in life. We are waiting to move our pawn until we can see the checkmate. Instead, just move your pawn in the best direction and strategy that you can. Evaluate the pros and cons, the risks vs. the rewards, but ultimately, make the move! Do not move slowly. Increase your Speed of Action to increase your speed of results! Make the move and then focus your effort on making that move the best it can be. Then you can quickly assess, so you can make the next best move based on what adversity comes against you. It's always about the next move! Caleb also says this. "Every move you make is going to incur obstacles and life happens. You never know what will come against you. Therefore it's nearly impossible for someone to plan out their checkmate and for every step to work exactly as they choose." So what is your next big move that'll move you forward? If you need help with that, reach out to me for a Free Private Consultation.