What game are you playing?

A mentor of mine once told me that product management boils down to two things: know what game you’re playing, and know how you’re keeping score. The same concept might apply to life.

What game are you playing? What’s most important to you right now? Are you prioritizing your professional development? Personal development? Friendships? Romance?

How are you keeping score? Let’s say you’re focusing on professional development. Are you optimizing for salary? Prestige? Work-life balance? Fulfillment? What’s important to you?

In each case, there’s no right answer. But we do have a choice, and it’s helpful to be clear with ourselves about what we’re choosing. Otherwise, you risk mixing up your games. And nobody ever did themselves any favors by wearing a football helmet to a golf match.

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