Okay, so I’ve been trying to get my act together lately, specifically with how I approach, well, everything. I stumbled across this thing called the “Play to Win” framework, and I figured, why not give it a shot? I mean, who doesn’t want to “win,” right?
First, I needed to figure out what “winning” even meant for me. It’s not always about being the absolute best, you know? So, I grabbed a notebook and started brainstorming. I jotted down all the areas I wanted to improve – work, personal projects, even just getting more sleep! I had a huge mix, I realized when I was done, that I had to slim it down.
Defining My Playing Field
Next, I needed to be realistic. I can’t conquer the world in a day. I picked three main areas to focus on: finishing that online course I started, getting back into a regular workout routine, and spending less time doomscrolling on my phone. These felt achievable, but still challenging enough to feel like a “win.”
- Online Course Completion
- Regular Workout
- Reduced Phone Usage.
Creating My “Plays”
This is where the “play” part comes in. I had to come up with specific actions, like mini-strategies. I found that I’m a very visual person, so to make it easy for myself, I used sticky notes, I enjoy moving them around.
For the online course, my “play” was to dedicate at least 30 minutes to it every weekday, no excuses. I even set a reminder on my phone (the irony!).
For working out, I decided to start small – three 20-minute sessions a week. I found some workout videos online that I actually enjoyed, which was a huge help.
And for the phone addiction… that was the toughest. My “play” here was to put my phone in another room while I was working on the course or working out. I also started using one of those apps that tracks your screen time. Seeing the numbers was a bit of a wake-up call.
Tracking and Adjusting
Now, I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Some days I slipped up. I missed a workout, or I found myself mindlessly scrolling through social media for an hour. But, I made a little chart to track my progress. It wasn’t about being perfect, it was about being better than I was yesterday. Whenever I felt like I am failing, I’d look back to remind myself.
When I hit a roadblock, I tried to figure out why. Was I being too ambitious? Did I need to adjust my “plays”? For example, I realized that 30 minutes straight for the online course was too much some days. So, I broke it down into two 15-minute chunks, and that worked much better.
The Results (So Far!)
It’s been a few weeks, and I’m definitely seeing some progress. I’m about halfway through the online course, I’m feeling stronger from the workouts, and my screen time has (slightly) decreased. I haven’t completely “won” yet, but I feel like I’m on the right track. It’s more about the process, the small victories, and the feeling of actually taking control. I’m going to keep tweaking and adjusting my approach, and I plan to keep sharing this journey as I go.
