Yesterday I wrote an article about "The Game of Success".

Within it, I explained why People Frequently Come and Go in "The Game".

In short - It is Not "A" Game, but Rather Multiple, Simultaneous Games Occurring.

After I published, I received an Amazing Question I felt Deserved an In-Depth Response.

"How do you know when it's time to shift to a new game or adjust your approach?"

It's an Excellent Question that Forces us to Ask Several Important Questions.

Perhaps the Most Important Question to Consider...

How are Your Energy (Mg-ATP) and Resources?

We all have a Limited Supply of Energy (Mg-ATP).

We can only Dedicate a Certain amount of Resources.

If A Game you're playing "Costs" Too Much Energy (Mg-ATP) and/or Resources, You Should Adjust Your Strategy or Leave the Game.

If you Remain, It'll Push you Into Burnout.

We are Humans.

It is "Impossible" to Win The Game of Success while in Burnout.

It's Basic Psychophysiology.

If you can "Adjust" Your Strategy to use Less Energy and Fewer Resources "Without" Increasing Dis-Stress, then it may be ok to Stay in That Game.

If Not, Just Leave.

You'll be Better for It in the Long Term.

There are Probably "Better" Games for Where You Are Today.

Build There.

If you Gain Better Energy or Resources, then Consider Other Games.

The Next Question...

Is the Game You're Playing "Your" Definition of Success?

Many People Play the "Wrong" Game because "Others" have Told Them To.

It is Rare for Someone to "Win" a Game that Fails to Meet "Their" Definition of Success.

Even if they "Do", they will Despise It, and that Is Not Really "Winning".

Playing a Game You Hate tends to also Lead to Burnout, which will only Create "More" Problems in the Long Term.

Make sure that whatever Games You Play are based on "Your" Definition of Success.

The third question...

Does the Game Play Into "Your" Strengths?

When you look at Positive Psychology, you'll Discover a Simple Truth of Life.

We Perform Our Best when We Play Games Using Our Strengths.

We Feel Better when We Play with Our Strengths.

"Can" we Play Outside our Strengths?

Of Course.

"Should" we Play Outside of our Strengths?

Not if we Plan to Win the Game of Success.

There is a Reason People have Hobbies - You can Enjoy Something without "Winning" that Game.

But to "Win", it is Your Strengths that will Take You to the Top.

Now, perhaps a "Less" asked Question that is Important...

Are You Welcome in this Game?

Some Games Exist that "Exclude" People.

Sometimes it is Purposefully, and Sometimes it is By Accident.

If the Game Does "Not" Welcome You, it "May" be Worth Considering A New Game.

Can You Change a Game?

Yes.

But it is "Extremely" Difficult, Especially if you Attempt to do it Alone.

Sometimes, if You Are Not Welcome, take it as a Sign to Go Somewhere You "Will" Be Appreciated, and Win There.

Now the "Alone" Aspect brings us to this Next Question...

Can you Build a Virtuous Cycle within the Ecosystem of the Current Game?

Within the Long Term of "Every" Game it is "Teams" that Win The Game.

Solo Efforts can only Go So Far.

The Highest Levels of Success Require a Team.

But "Team" is a Loose Word.

A "Team" can be Multiple Individuals, All Separate, Yet Simultaneously Working Together.

For Instance, I write on a Couple of Different Platforms.

On "All" of them, I Write for My Own Business.

"But" I have a Team of Individuals on Every Platform.

People Whose Work I Really Enjoy.

People Who Really Enjoy My Work.

We Create a "Team" Where We All Support Each Other.

They Encourage Me.

They Help Me Improve.

They Help Spread My Work.

In Return, I Do The Same.

The "Key" to this is that it "Must" be Genuine.

This isn't "Let's Trade Follows and Likes".

This isn't "Here's an AI-Generated Comment that is Meaningless".

That is Fake Engagement and will Fail Long Term.

But a Team of People who are All Genuinely Interested in Each Other's Work Creates a Virtuous Cycle that Helps Everyone Win.

Everyone Encourages each other.

Everyone Supports each other.

Everyone Helps each other Improve.

Everyone Wins.

All Flourishing Is Mutual.

If you can Design a Virtuous Cycle within a Game, it could be Worth It to Continue to Play or Simply Adjust.

If there are No Options for Virtuous Cycles, then You'll Benefit from Changing Games.

Then, there are Two Related Questions to Consider around the "Rules" of The Game...

Have the Rules Changed to Benefit You?

Are the Rules Likely to Benefit You in the Future?

Most of the Games of Success have Rules "Not" Created by Us.

That is Ok.

What We Must Pay Attention to is "How" Those Games Change Over Time.

I've talked before about how Many Creators have Fallen because they Dedicated themselves to a Game where the Rules Changed and Demolished their Businesses.

When you Do Not Own a Game, the Rules Can and Will Change, and sometimes they May Not Benefit You.

So you've got to Consider this both in the Current and the Future.

Do the Rules Benefit You Now?

If they Do, it may be Worth Staying in the Game.

Will the Rules Change in the Future to Benefit You?

This is a bit Harder to Determine, but you can Figure it Out by Understanding the Motives of Who "Owns" the Game You Play.

Why Do "I" Put Minimal or No Effort into Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X?

I've Watched their Owners Screw Creators and Entrepreneurs, like me, Multiple Times in the Past.

I Do Not Trust Them.

Their Rules Today Do Not Seem to Benefit Me.

Their Rules Tomorrow Probably Won't Either.

So, I Do Not Really Play Their Game.

There are Other Platforms where I Put More Energy - such as Typeshare and Vocal.

Why?

I've Watched their Owners Continuously Make Improvements to their Platforms and Rules that I have found Extremely Beneficial.

Are they Perfect?

Not Always.

But I "Do" Have Trust that they will Continue to Improve.

I may Need to Adjust Here and There, but the Rules and Improvements Indicate these are Safer to Continue to Play In for My Goals.

Could It Change in the Future?

Of Course - Which is Why You Should "Always" Pay Attention to the Rules.

Which brings me to the Final Question...

Should a "New Game" be Created?

Sometimes, the Currently Available Games Are Not Good.

It can be for a Large Variety of Reasons.

The Game was Built on Unstable Grounds.

The Owners of the "Popular" Games Are Not Trustworthy.

Bad Players Exist, and Sometimes they Ruin Games Completely without Hope of Fixing.

So, there are Cases where the Best Solution Available is to Design Your Own Game.

It's Easier to "Win" When You Create the Rules.

Now, this is not always "Feasible" to Do, but it is an Option.

If You can Create a Better Game, and you have the Energy and Resources to Accomplish It, then Shifting to "Your Game" Is a Very Solid Option.

If you Decide to do this, then you want to Guarantee that You've got a Winning Team.

You Need a Winning Ecosystem if You Want Others to Play "Your Game".

In Today's World, there are actually "Many" People who are just "Waiting" for a Better Game.

It is Why "All" of the Tech Companies are Acting Terrified Right Now.

They "Know" that People are Waiting for the New Game that Will Erase the Current Games.

Employees are Waiting.

Customers are Waiting.

Shareholders are Waiting.

Suppliers are Waiting.

When the Next Viable Game is Revealed, people will Flock.

Many Businesses are Currently in Dying Ecosystems.

The Healthiest Ecosystem Will Win.

This is Why I have been talking about the Necessity of Sageship for The Future.

Business Sageship is what people are Seeking, and the Leaders Who Figure It Out First will Dominate for a Very Long Time.

Final Thoughts

So, it is Incredibly Important to Understand the Game of Success.

Sometimes You Should Adjust Your Approach if A Game is Not Going Your Way.

Other Times You Should Find a New Game Entirely.

But Before you Jump too Quickly, Assess the Current Game(s) to Ensure You've Taken an Accurate Assessment of these Questions.

I have watched Too Many Individuals Fail because they Made Decisions for the Wrong Reasons.

Emotional Reasons Based on Temporary Events.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy.

Following Other People's Advice - Who Themselves Are Often Misinformed, Chasing Hype, or Have Hidden Agendas.

Failing to See the Long Term and Overly Focusing on the Short Term.

If You Want to Win the Game of Success, You've got to be Smart and Make Sure You are Intentional about your Choices.

Not Just For Today.

But For Every Day Moving Forward.

The Game of Success is a Long Game.

Play To Win Forever.

When You Must Change In The Game Of Success

Knowing When It Is Time To Shift To A New Game Or Adjust Your Approach

What will you write today?