How Are You Keeping Score in Life?

I think one of the reasons we like sports so much is that there is a clear understanding of who wins the game and who wins the championship.

And we all want that trophy – not the participation medal, but that championship trophy – the big one! Followed by the championship parade!

In most sports, the winner is the one with the most points or highest score – but then you may say – “wait – what about golf where the lowest score is wins?” I would suggest the winner has the most desired outcomes (which in golf are birdies or eagles) and therefore the winner is the one who is the most under par.

Whereas in life, it seems that sometimes we define winning and losing in different ways. And we aren’t playing the same game with the same rules as others who are playing the game of life. So, how does one win at the game of life (not the old board game, but the actual journey of life we are blessed to experience).

It starts with having a desired life. It’s important to define what you view as experiencing victory in life looks like. What’s important to you? Being a good parent or partner? Being a successful businessperson? Being incredibly philanthropic? Being well-known or flying under the radar? Whatever it is, you are the one who defines your success.

I’ve learned that everyone’s definition of success is different, but I’ve also learned that it is vital to have a definition of what success means to you. It’s also important that if other people play a role in your life’s journey and achieving success – and let’s face it, we all have others in our life who can contribute to or detract from our life’s success – we must communicate our goals with these people, while also understanding theirs. By doing this, we are more likely to impact each other’s achievements of victory in a positive way.

We can work with others and be good teammates or we can try to do this only by ourselves. As there is strength in numbers and even greater strength when those numbers are playing the same game and working toward the same (or even similar) goals, I highly recommend the team approach.

The only way to win the game of life is to know what game we are playing, how score is being kept, and who else we can have on our team to help us on this journey. By doing this you can Ignite Your Life and realize victory!