How to Actually Do the Things That Improve Your Chess
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[00:00:00] Hey, and welcome back. Today I want to talk about something that I always struggle with, which is overthinking. And more specifically, it's trying to find the perfect workout routine, trying to find the ideal chess training routine, trying to find the ideal work rhythm. And in that search, spending so much time and missing out on what actually improves my life, my workout routine, my work, it's execution.

So if you're prone to this as well, this podcast episode features five simple steps I try to do when I realize I'm going for more knowledge, but actually I just need to go back to the [00:01:00] basics and do the work. Enjoy I. So it's fascinating how many questions I ask myself that I actually already know the answers to, and I love a quote from Derek Sives.

It says, "If more information was the answer, we'd all be billionaires with perfect abs." Like many of my students, I often fall into the trap of searching for the perfect answer to a question. I'll spend hours googling, reading books, watching 27 YouTube videos and asking ChatGPT only to eventually realize, oh, I already know, the answer is just about executing on it.

I'm happy to report that the time I spend down these rabbit holes is getting shorter and shorter. Maybe it's only 15 YouTube videos instead of 27. Right now, once I have the same realization for the 30th time, I shift my [00:02:00] focus from searching for the ideal answer to executing what I already know, and here is what I try to do. That's my five steps.

Step number one, I ask myself, is this something I truly want, or is it just something society says I should want or should have? This is a reality check to avoid chasing of the shiny objects. Sometimes the easiest way to check off something from your to-do list is to realize that you don't have to do it at all.

So for me, for example, if I think about looking cool by wearing expensive things or driving fast cars, I really couldn't care less so I just scratched that. That's just a thought that society taught me I should have, but I really couldn't care less. What about going to the gym regularly to feel better, live longer, and improve my health? Yep. That's something I want. So that step is very quick, very easy.

Step number [00:03:00] two, have I already had a time when I did this consistently? And this brings it back to the fact that very, very often I know the answer, maybe I have already executed the answer and I just need to go back to that time. So very often the answer is yes, and with my gym, for example, that I care about, yes, the best I did was going three times a week along with some yoga, stretching, and running.

So I already had a good routine. I know what it looks like to have success in that area of life. Also, if success is a weird word to talk about, keeping your health in check, but I did it well for myself, for my wellbeing. So I really don't need to reinvent the wheel wheel. I just need to return to the habits that worked back then. So don't need to come up with a new system. Just pick the one that already helped me in the past.

Point number three. This is super important for me and I think some of you guys might relate to it. [00:04:00] Do I have unreasonable expectations? So usually what happens for me is when I come up with these ideas of what I should do, and then especially when I had a time where I did this well, I somehow have the expectation to immediately get back to the best shape or immediately get back to the ideal routine.

And this is very dangerous. Very often I even have the feeling that I could do still more than that. So I'm thinking like, okay, I wanna go to the gym. I want to go so many times. Maybe every day I wanna add in yoga, I want to add in stretching, meditation, this, that, just everything should be perfect.

Maybe I can also tackle my nutrition at the same time. And by writing these expectations down, I realized how unrealistic they are. And actually, what's also funny and a little bit meta is that also in that I already know the answer, I already know that starting simple, starting small and then building out a routine is way more [00:05:00] consistent and is way more achievable and has a higher likelihood of actually happening in real life, and so I should do that again. I go back to what I know is true for myself, so when I write down these expectations, it usually dawns on me. Oh my God. Yes. That's absolutely ridiculous. Let me go back and let me maybe start with something small that I can actually do.

That brings us to step number four, which is what is a manageable load I can stick to over long term? Super important. This is something I drill into my chess students, but I see that I have the same temptation to overdo it. So that's why I'm so structured about these things, because I know myself, where I'm going if I'm not structured structuring it.

So what did I do with the gym? I said, okay, I can do twice a week. Okay, 45 to 60 minutes. And this is reasonable. I already, last year I did a training that I know exactly what I should [00:06:00] do. I have it on an app. I did it with a a trainer, and because I haven't stuck to the routine at all, it means that training is still good, right?

I'm more or less at the same point, so I don't need to overcomplicate by getting a new appointment, doing new training plan or whatever. Just wanna stick to what I already have and I'll do it twice a week. Would be lovely to add running or resorting yoga or stretching every morning, or meditation or nutrition, all of these things. But I find that when I overdo it, it ends up the same way as always, that I don't do anything. So I have these two times at the gym that I wanna go.

And then step number five, when will I actually do it? I need to schedule it. This is so important because I really lost count on how many million dollar businesses work out routines and healthy diets I started next week, which in [00:07:00] other words means never, right?

So if I just say, well, I'll do it at some point, or next week I'll do it. That's not clear and crispy enough. I generally like to commit to write down exactly when I'll go to the gym next or when I'll do whatever you want to do. And it even helps more if I make a bet or tell a friend or tell my wife.

So with the gym it's simple because I go with Alessia, so we decide. Monday at this time, we go to the gym. Thursday at this time, we go to the gym, for example. So we have a commitment, we have an appointment with each other, and then we actually stick to it. And then it's just time to execute. No excuses, no rambling.

I just have to go. I just have to do it. Not think too much about it. And then I can slowly, slowly build out more things in that routine if I want to. And in general, [00:08:00] when you schedule your stuff or when I do it for myself, but this is my advice to you as well. The sooner, the better. If you have something that you can already do today, this afternoon, whenever you're listening to this, so then do it. Commit to it, at least do the writing down. But the earlier you start, the more likely is that you're actually doing. So now you are probably just about to close that podcast and go on with your day and not do anything about it. That's honestly what I would do. That's why I think you might be doing the same thing.

So, this is super important. If you actually want to take something away from this podcast, you know that stuff. You know these five steps, these haven't blown your mind at all. It's not like, oh my God, Noël has just come up with the incredible, sophisticated way of doing stuff that you want to do.

No, it's basic stuff, but if you want to take [00:09:00] anything away from it, you just need to execute to do. So, here is what I recommend you do right now. Ask yourself, what is something I know that improves my chess game, but I don't do enough. Let me say that again. What is something I know that improves my chess game, but I'm not doing it enough?

And then you go through the five steps. Step number one is shortly ask yourself if you're actually wanting to improve your chess game. I hope it is because this is a chess improvement podcast. Point number two, ask yourself, did you have a time where you did that thing? For most people, it's either playing games, analyzing games, or doing tactics the right way.

That's probably the answers, but if you come up with something else, it's really important for your chess. Go ahead and ask yourself, did I have a time where I did that [00:10:00] consistently? What did I do back then? Okay, write that down. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Point number three or question number three, ask yourself, do I have unreasonable expectations?

Are you just thinking about chomping right back in 10 hours a week, everyday tactics, these that, blah, blah, blah? No. Okay. Write that down, what your expectations are, what you feel is coming up. Even if you have the rational thought that, well, these expectations are way too much. Write them down. These are your subconscious expectations. Very important to have them on paper.

Then point number four, now you can take those expectations and say, okay, what is a manageable load I can actually stick to over the long term? It might be that it is two times 15 minutes a day playing or analyzing or doing tactics. It doesn't need to be that much.

Slowly build up and then make sure that you actually stick to it. And to make sure that you actually stick to [00:11:00] it, schedule it, write now, write here: when will you do it? Write down when exactly on which day, which time. Which resource you will use. And then commit to it. Tell your wife, tell your partner, tell your friend, tell an online community, write me an email.

Whatever you can do to hold yourself accountable. And then boom, execute it. That's it. So, make sure that when you're stopping to listening to this podcast episode or whenever you have the first moment where you can actually stop what you're doing at this very moment.

So if you're driving, don't just break on the highway. But whenever you have the time to stop, stop. Write that stuff down, go through the five steps, and then boom, execute it. We really have to make stuff less complex and just execute more often. And if you're asking yourself, well, Noel, has it worked for you?

Yes, it has. I have written that [00:12:00] article that I've talked about here in this podcast episode two weeks ago. And I have since been twice a week consistently. So that three weeks now, it's the third week I'm taking on, but at the very least, three weeks streaks of twice a week. I'll take it. I'll take it.

I don't know how long it will go, but for now I have been able to stick to it and slowly I will increase the load of my gym or my nutrition, or my yoga or my stretching, whatever is next on my list. Okay. That's enough from me. See you next time.

Hey guys, just two quick things before you take off. If you enjoyed this episode and want more structured chess improvement tips from myself, check out my newsletter at nextlevelchess.com/slash slash newsletter.

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