How to Perform Better in Whatever You Do
A life lesson I learned from top chess streamer GM Hikaru Nakamura
This life lesson was learned while watching chess content, but it’s invaluable for everyone, not only chess fans. Bear with me. I’ll explain.
I have played chess as a hobby on and off for 25 years, won a few local tournaments, and created some chess opening tutorials for chess fans when I started my creator journey.
As such, I watched chess on YouTube and came across the content of Hikaru Nakamura, a five-time US chess champion and top player worldwide known primarily for his unbeatable blitz and bullet chess skills.
In addition to being a top-notch chess player, he has become an entertaining, loved Twitch chess streamer and YouTuber, and he conquered the top on that front rapidly. This guy is a chess goat and the top chess streamer today, with millions of subscribers across multiple platforms.
Watch the video I’ve recently published on this life lesson I learned from Hikaru:
If you prefer the text story, read on.
The dual-purpose method
Of course, Hikaru’s phenomenal talent and dedication to chess made him a chess goat in the first place — there is no doubt about that. However, another factor contributed to his more recent success.
He stated that being a streamer has recently become his main thing, not competitive chess. He still participates in over-the-board tournaments, but his main focus is creating content and streaming. It is interesting to hear that from such a highly competitive player.
This new focus has helped him take professional chess tournaments less seriously; this way, he enjoys the game and performs better, not worse, as one might think. The results validate his streaming-first approach.
He presented this approach after an excellent performance in the 2022 candidates event, where qualifying for the world championship match slipped from his fingers only in the last game against current world champion Ding Liren. Two months ago, he reiterated his preference for streaming again after qualifying second to the 2024 candidates.
At the same time, Hikaru’s streaming level also benefited from the deep professional knowledge he brought as a top-notch over-the-board player. There are other GM streamers, but they are not at Hikaru’s level.
The benefits of juggling with two related yet different purposes in life help in both directions. Each boosts your confidence as you rely less heavily on your primary work, and together, they give you an edge compared to your competitors in each field.
Okay, that’s all great, but most of us are not Hikaru Nakamura, you may say.
And, of course, we aren’t and probably won’t achieve such massive success as he did. Yet, embracing that dual-purpose method in your career or business can help you perform better in whatever you do.
When you don’t have that pressure on your shoulders, you can think more freely and express yourself better. You can also be way more focused and do tasks above and beyond.
I remember when I used to work in a back-office job, how I did the job with ease. It wasn’t because the work was too easy; it wasn’t. The reasons for that experience came from another realm. My mind was invested in my academic aspirations at that time.
I prepared a research proposal to study for a postgraduate degree in the U.K., and that made me less concerned about what the boss said to me or what a coworker thought about me. My professional identity was in continuing to study in the U.K.
Today, I realize the significant advantage of carrying two professional identities. I finally gave up on the opportunity to study abroad and remained with my primary 9–5 job, more fragile than before. This led me to a rough time, after which I reinvented myself as a creator.
If you want to perform better in what you do, try to find another source of purpose in life and double down on it. Build two significant things you invest in your life that provide you meaning, joy, and, if possible, money.
That can be an audience on Twitch if gaming is your thing, social media as a creator, or your blog. But it can also be a hobby for non-monetization purposes or a social activity in your town.
Such a source of purpose can help you decrease the pressure you may experience on your main hustle, whether it’s enjoying your gym sessions, publishing content on Medium, or building your Substack newsletter.
That’s also true business-wise. Not surprisingly, some gurus advocate spreading your word in multiple content venues and building several passive income streams. The business side of the dual-purpose approach is more renowned, I guess.
So, build at least two anchors in your life. Then, if one is ditched for some reason, you still have the other. This way, you are more likely to perform better in both pursuits, as you give less of a f*k about each one.
Disclaimer: The information in this story and embedded video is based solely on my observations and interpretations of Hikaru Nakamura’s public persona. I have no direct affiliation with Hikaru, and he has not endorsed or verified the presented life hack or any of the tips discussed in this story/video. The content of this story/video is for educational purposes only, and it does not replace professional advice. Results may vary.
