If you’ve ever played board games with children, you probably have encountered the classic game “Chutes and Ladders,” which, interestingly, is based on an ancient Indian game called “Snakes and Ladders.”
Anyway, the game is pretty simple—so simple, in fact, that it’s entirely possible for an adult to be beaten by a 6-year-old. Regularly. Kids love this game. Age doesn’t matter, skill is not required and anyone can win.
Chutes and Ladders challenges players to get to the top of the game board. The first player to get to the “100” square wins. The key is not to land on a chute that will take you back down to where you started. You want to land on one of the many ladders that will move you closer to the top square. And you definitely want to avoid the slide.
Often, players advance up the squares pretty quickly, gaining confidence in the fact that they are ahead and possibly will win, only to land on a chute and have to start all over again. This is a game where your luck can change in an instant, and one misstep can erase any progress you’ve made.
Chutes and Ladders and life in general have a lot in common.
The game can be a metaphor for life and the pursuit of goals. Think about it. Before beginning a project, a different job, a new relationship or anything really, you are optimistic about your chances. You expect to be successful. You are confident that your hard work and smart choices will get you where you want to go.
And then the game begins. Perhaps you’re making steady progress. You might have indications that you’ll not only reach your goals, but also reach them earlier and easier than you thought. But then onemistake or error in judgment or run of bad luck can set you back or even cause you to have to start all over.
The big difference between the board game and life is, of course, the significance of the win. With one, winning is merely satisfying; with the other, success has much greater importance.
The even bigger difference between the board game and life is that your actions—not your luck—determine your outcomes in the real world. In life, the more experience you have, the better your chances for success. Skill matters! Experience counts!
In life, you can fix mistakes. You can change course if you need to do so. No matter the setbacks, you still can achieve the goals you set. You just might have to look for a different ladder.
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