Stressed executives: de-couple your career from your self-esteem with Naval’s paradigm of games

On the 473rd episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Naval Ravikant said he “beat” the game of life.

He doesn’t have to work.

He doesn’t have to play social games.

In fact, he doesn’t have to do anything.

According to Naval, most things we “have to do” in life are man-made games.

Even though they may seem real, they aren’t. In this article, I’ll call this the paradigm of games.

So, why am I telling you this?

Naval’s paradigm of games empowers us to separate the games we’re playing from the person we are.

For instance, whenever you find yourself discontent with something in life; may it be your career, social status, or even your Twitter-profile, remind yourself it’s just a game and it doesn’t define you as a person.

On the flip side, you can use the paradigm of games to stay humble. Feeling hubris because of a promotion you got, an investment you made, or 3X-ing your impressions? Remind yourself these are games, and while they can bring you joy, they can’t bring you happiness.

Lastly, the paradigm of games serves as a reminder to not keep playing after we beat the game.

While this may sound straightforward, it isn’t — millions of executives aren’t quitting their job even after they’ve earned enough money to live their dreams. Know when to stop.

In conclusion, the paradigm of games reminds us to not use our actions as a yardstick for our self-worth.

This post was created with Typeshare