I participated in the Pioneer Tournament in September 2018, not knowing what to expect.
I had a blast! The experience changed my way of thinking and my problem solving methods, because it mainly focused on the positive.
At the end of the week, I was used to ruminating about the goals I missed, the things that went wrong, the challenges still standing, etc. You can imagine how defeated it made me feel on a regular basis.
During the tournament, the “pioneers” are asked to share their progress by every Sunday evening, for 4 weeks. For me, that meant looking back, counting the miles traveled and the milestones reached, and putting actual words on the accomplishments, big or small, as opposed to ignoring them and focusing on the doors still closed.
I applied to the tournament with the story app project that has been burning my heart and nights for some time now. The accountability that comes with sharing the progress on a weekly basis was good.
The few questions asked in the report we submit invite self-reflection. That was good, too.
I knew deep inside that I could break the barriers standing in front of me, despite the odds. The moment I realized that I was actually making progress on a regular basis, everything changed. I started thinking more creatively of ways to move forward. I ventured into territories that once intimidated me, kept connecting with people interested in joining in, and dived deeper into technical learning.
By a funny turn of events, that turned me into a bona fide life hacker.
The tournament generated such positive feelings in me, and an overall desire for more “good moments,” that I started a Happiness Bucket List during my birthday week (I cross something off the list every week, but that could be a topic for another post).
During the tournament, the feedback I received weekly did a number of things for me:
1. Because the organizers ask the people who vote for you to share what they like about your work, the votes you get are votes of confidence. The words I read were unexpected and heartwarming.
2. Many times, I received tips in the feedbacks on how to improve my work and methods.
3. Reading about what other people from all over the world were working on was incredibly inspiring. Originally, I had lost some faith in humanity until I started reading some of the projects-in-progress out there. They could be life-changing for entire groups of people. And I also saw how big the heart of these founders — artists, engineers, high school students — is.
Yes, it’s nice to be upvoted and get a good ranking, but I would encourage anyone doing the tournament to focus on the personal growth, goals, and on the fun that comes from being exposed to the amazing work that is being curated on a global level.
Is there something you’ve always wanted to do, but have put off until now? A piece of art you’ve always wanted to create? A community project? A startup idea you’ve started working on? Consider joining the Pioneer Tournament.
“Apply with any project you need help with. After 30 days, the best players will receive $5,000, a round-trip ticket to Silicon Valley, and access to mentorship from some of the world’s most successful individuals.”
The deadline to apply is this Sunday October 28, by 11:59 PM.
