Life is not a game of Chess, it’s a game of Scrabble!

For quite a few people, life is a grand game of chess - strategic, tactical and full of carefully thought-out plans. But isn’t life more like a game of Scrabble? At every turn, you're dealt a unique set of letters, and it's up to you to spell out your journey. Sometimes you get those rare triple-word-score moments of triumph, and other times you're stuck with a handful of Zs and Qs, trying to figure out where to place them.

As John Lennon beautifully said, “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.”

In Scrabble, you may plan for making big words, but life, as the letters you draw, often has its own delightful surprises. If you haven’t noticed similarities already, here are some crazy parallels that make every word, and every day worth playing!

1. The Variability And Uncertainty Of The Unknown

In Chess, you need to think? 3 moves ahead. But in Scrabble you cannot think past the current move. You need to stay in the moment, take one step at a time and constantly adapt with every move.?

Unlike Chess, you cannot see your opponent’s pieces (tiles) in Scrabble, only yours. All you have is 7 maybe-good, maybe-bad letters, and you need to make the most of it. One day life may hit you with a curveball. For instance, you may be hit with an unexpected job loss.? What will your first instinct be?? Strategising your next move meticulously like in Chess, or getting into ‘Scrabble’ mode -?furiously rearranging those random letters life has given you and trying to make a word that makes sense?

I’ll tell you what I did when life threw me a curveball.?

Many years ago I was scheduled for a transfer from Hong Kong to the corporate office in America. In preparation, I terminated my house lease, withdrew my son from school, and sold off all household items (different volts). Just a few days before we were to move, I was informed of something that shattered my plans - my transfer had been pushed, not by a few days or weeks, but by several months! That meant going back and undoing everything we had painstakingly prepared for!?

I requested the school to retain my son for the academic year, renewed my house lease, but everything else was all gone or sold. It was a very frustrating time for me and my family. The one thing that kept me sane was recognising that I was in the beginning stages of shock. I knew that the sooner I consciously transitioned to the next level of shock, the sooner I would accept and embrace the circumstances.??

In a world obsessed with plotting every future move and looking 10 paces ahead, I have learnt to thrive in? the chaos and complexity of the unknown. Because every new Scrabble tile adds layer upon layer of uncertainty and variability, and you never know what you’ll get handed next.

?2. Small Words can give Big Wins

Can a pawn checkmate a king in Chess? Technically possible but less likely. But can a tiny two-letter word in Scrabble? swoop in and claim more points than a hefty five-letter word?? Absolutely!!

Imagine getting relatively difficult letters on your tray – p, z, n, q, a, t and i.? Making the word ‘paint’ will fetch you 7 points but ‘Za’ will get you 11 points!

In Scrabble, ‘Za’ is an accepted word as a slang shortening of the word ‘pizza’. But you will only know that if you explore possibilities beyond your comfort zone, think what you have never thought before, and do what you have never done before. It is the small, seemingly insignificant actions and choices that can lead to monumental victories.?

3. Life's Hidden Treasures: The Power of Blank Tiles

I love drawing a blank tile from the Scrabble bag. With these tiles I suddenly gain a superpower with which I can do anything!? Similarly, in the grand game of life, we often encounter ‘wildcard’ opportunities - we all have the choice of looking at it as a blank with zero imminent value or as the tile that fills in the blank for a larger opportunity.? It all comes down to our mindset, attitude, and perspective.

?In life I have picked up many blank tiles, but I didn't realise I had them till much later.? When I look back, I can rationalise it, but at the time, I relied on my instinct, I backed myself up, adapted to the situation and made the most of it- like I did when I was all of 29 years old,? stationed in Japan.?

At such a young age, I was living the high-executive expat life, and everything was exactly what a person brought up in a humble family in India would dream of! Out of the blue, I had an opportunity to come back to India in a regional role. But the catch was - I had to come back on the local salary, which meant a 90% pay cut to what I was making in Japan and with none of the fancy expat benefits.

And guess what? I took that blank tile!

The rational side of my brain was hyperventilating, but my instinct went into an overdrive. I don't know the exact trigger of why I decided to come back, but I did!? My friends and family thought I had gone crazy! Eventually, it was a decision that worked out for the better because I was able to grow the Indian market for the company I worked for, that set me on the path to global leadership in the company.?

Again, at the age of 47, when I was living a successful life in Dubai as the global president for a UK listed company, I decided to not only give up my corporate life, I decided to be an entrepreneur!?

At a time when most people focus on securing their future, I made the move of using my savings to start my own venture. This meant leaving behind the security of a stable job. Again, people around me could not comprehend my decision to give up the comforts and? glamour of a top corporate career. But to me, it was the awareness that to be a better version I had to continue making myself uncomfortable. I also backed myself and had the confidence that I will not only figure out the unfamiliarity but in fact thrive in it.

It's the same mindset that has allowed us to make exceptional progress at Pidge. We have continued to focus on unravelling the problem, one layer at a time and adapting the solution to ‘the new rack of tiles’!

When I look back at my professional journey, I realised I was manifesting these blank tiles. Rather than the situations presenting me with one, I kept thrusting my hand in the Scrabble bag and pushing myself into unfamiliar territory, because in life, growth happens when you think beyond your comfort zone.?

4. The Rules of the Game keep Changing

Chess is a game with rigid rules, calculated moves, and a predictable path. But let's be honest, living like that can sometimes suck the spontaneity out of life's juiciest moments.

Scrabble however is a different story. It's like life on a food adventure. The rules keep changing, new words pop up every year, and even foreign and slang words get their moment of glory. It's like life is an endless buffet where you never quite know what dish you'll savour next. But it’s that thrill that keeps the palate tingling and the senses heightened.

How do I play the game of life?

If you ask me, I will always choose the Strategy + Agility of Scrabble over the Strategy + Farsightedness of Chess.

Agility isn't about how fast you act but how swiftly you adapt. It's the art of responding effectively to the ever-changing landscape. Strategy is the compass pointing to where you want to go, while agility is the vehicle that gets you there efficiently.

On the other hand, when you focus solely on Strategy + Farsightedness, you risk overlooking the dynamic realities that surround you. Farsightedness without agility, is like trying to navigate a path in the dark.

?In the professional arena or in life, no matter how meticulously you plan, the unexpected is bound to happen. It's how you handle those unforeseen challenges that truly defines your journey.?

So why not take a cue from Scrabble? After all, why have a bland, predictable, planned-out journey when we can have a healthy dose of unpredictable U-turns, surprises , jump-scares, windfalls, and everything in between to spice up our lives?