The Checkers Mindset

Sometimes it's best to face challenges head-on.

Checkers gets disrespected. 

In work, and life, we hear people saying ‘they are playing chess, not checkers.’ 

Recently, I heard someone discuss 3D chess. 

But me, I like the checkers strategy. 

Earlier this week, I was teaching Fiona how to play checkers. And she said to me, ‘Dad, what happens when a red piece is in my way?’

“Well, you have to find a way to overcome it.” 

This is life, isn't it?

This is the majority of decisions that we make. An obstacle presents itself, and we have to decide- how are we going to overcome it?

Our car breaks down. 

A family member gets sick. 

In checkers, like life, you need to make a move. And when you do, new obstacles present themselves. But you make another move. And another move. It’s a game of action and the ability to overcome adversity. 

And success is determined by overcoming the most obstacles. 

Just this year, we realized that the biggest form of voter suppression in Illinois is not voter IDs, or same-day voter registration: It’s non-competitive state legislative races. Where only one candidate runs for office. 

This is not new information. It’s been happening for 20+ years. 

And for 20+ years, professional and amateur “chess players” have had strategic ideas. 

Rebuild the precinct infrastructures. 

Restructure political party systems. 

These are what Jon Acuff calls "Noble obstacles.” They are the hallmark of chess players. A noble obstacle is a virtuous-sounding reason for not working towards a finish. 

It's a way that you can still look respectable while not finishing your goal. 

Here is an example: "I would start learning how to swim now, but I'm waiting until January so my training doesn't get broken up by Christmas break.” Which is an embarrassing noble obstacle I created for myself last month. 

But with voter suppression, we realized the game was checkers, not chess. 

So what did we do? We asked people to run for office. 

Pretty simple. 

And so far, 53 Republicans and Democrats in districts that have been non-competitive for decades, have said ‘yes’.

That’s not a complicated, sophisticated idea.

But it takes A TON of work. And it’s taken a lot of action.  

It's not for everybody. 

And that's why nobody has done it in 20 years. 

We all want to think we are playing a different game. We all want to think of it in terms of chess moves- it makes us feel smart. 

But oftentimes success is determined by our ability to make a move and overcome the obstacle that stands right in front of us. 

This way of thinking involves a lot more action, and a lot less grand strategies. 

Kind of like checkers.