The Rulebook
When you play The Big Game, you have to learn to play by the rules
In my last several posts, I’ve shared information about the evolution of a new game concept idea I’m developing for organizing my life. I’m calling it The Big Game.
What comes next? Do you work on gameplay? Game board design? The Scoring system?
Some or all of that may happen. However, in my thinking about all of this , the first thing that came to mind was a set of rules.
The Rules: First Draft
First, I scratched out some ideas on one card.
Shortly after that, I made an “extension card.”
An extension card is a cousin of a scroll I think—it can get longer and longer, to just about any length. I liked it as a way to keep both thoughts and cards together.
Above is an image of another, multidirectional extension card.
And I like these because they are, in their own way, sort of playful. If it smacks of arts and crafts time, that’s okay. Arts and crafts was always fun, wasn’t it.
So now, looking at my cards, I’m going to blurt out an outline for a Rulebook for The big Game.
(Maybe, I should make it The BIG Game? Makes it stand out more?)
Outline
Title: Rulebook
Subtitle: Instructions for Playing the Game of Your Life
(Introduction: to come)
1) Revel in Reveille
You’ve been blessed with a new day. Enjoy it, savor it. (Add copy to talk about morning routines. Have a morning playlist. Points for getting up when you know you want to get up. )
2) Review the Game Plan
(Text about that. Any coach, player knows you need a game plan ...)
2 ½) Script your first series of plays
(Analogy with football. May not fit here. See where)
3. Say a prayer
(Refers to prayer, meditation, watching the sunrise—creating some stillness in your mind)
4. Communicate with the team.
(Who is on your team? Maybe other people, or maybe you, wearing a different hat) Build morale. Coach the team to execute the game plan. Get your messaging done so it’s off your mind.
5. Keep Going
(Everything he (Austin Kleon) said in the book Keep Going. Just tell ‘em, read the book. (Maybe reference Rule 1 in Keep Going – Every day is Groundhog Day.
6 Make good halftime adjustments
(mid-game adjustments. (In navigation/piloting, it would be mid-course corrections.))
7. Have fun
(anecdote) (I had the word anecdote in my notes. I have no idea what I was thinking)
8. Keep Score*
* But remember, you don’t have to win. In this game, the goals are to play well, meet the goals you set for yourself, help others, and have a little fun along the way. (What about earning a living? )
9. Wrap it up
(Use text developed for Wrap It Up Zine)
10. Celebrate
Review the day. Total up score. Think about the next game
NOTE TO SELF: If you have a working system, no matter how you do it—be darn proud of yourself. Most people/a lot of people are out there closing their eyes and hoping for the best.
Summary
The drafty text for the rules up above can be thought of as “what a good start looks like,” I hope. Maybe just “a start” and not “a good start” but it is something. And something is always better than nothing.
It will be interesting to see how it evolves.
Anon.
Ridge