Julie Zhuo · 4 min read · Growth
Playing Authentic Games
Read the original on lg.substack.com →
The article reframes goal-setting as choosing authentic games with fluid rules, emphasizing personal agency and the idea that most life 'laws' are not universal. By treating life as a set of optional games, it champions selecting challenges that are meaningful, rewarding, and within your own control, even as they bring friction and doubt.
Key Takeaways
- Rules are arbitrary: you can invent and adjust the rules of the games you play.
- Distinguish your authentic game from others' frames to preserve autonomy.
- Seek games that are rewarding and capable of inducing flow, not just binary outcomes.
- There are infinite possible games; choose ones that align with your values and desires.
- Expect friction and doubt, but recognize that the best games challenge and engage you.
Excerpt
Happy January! I love the start of the year, the collective closing of one chapter and the opening of the next. Some people go through the holiday season with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads; for me, it’s all the possible intentions I might try on, like outfits, and the many Sliding Door-eque possibilities for the new year. December ends with a flurry of writing. In the past, these were long lists of “goals,” tangible achievements I could check off like Santa’s list. But gradually I’ve drifted away from crisp binary outcomes to something softer and more abstract,…