Chess:

I started playing chess a month ago, and I must say, it’s an amazing game. It teaches you how to make informed decisions to achieve your desired outcome while considering the consequences of every small step.

Here are the 3 main things I’ve learned, which we can apply to real life as well:

1. Analyze your current position and identify the next three pieces you want.

2. Determine the small steps you can take now to achieve a big win later.

3. Quickly think about and visualize your next move and its possible consequences.
   
   

Strategic thinking:

I was reading an article by Julie Zhuo on how to be a strategic thinker in your life, and I instantly related her thoughts to my chess learnings. They were quite similar.

Her suggestions for becoming a strategic thinker:

1. Be specific about what you want and clearly define your goals.

2. Identify three small steps you can take toward your goals right now.

3. Visualize your goals daily, think about the type of person you want to become, and plan the steps you’ll take to achieve your desired goals.
   
   

Writing:

The act of composition, or creation, disciplines the mind; writing is one way to go about thinking, and the practice and habit of writing not only drain the mind but supply it, too. — Strunk and White

Almost every senior designer I look up to writes notes, blogs, or articles—not for likes or reach, but to clear their mind and put everything on paper. Writing helps to think clearly, so I thought I should also give it a try. Because why not?