What's amazing is that I am game adverse - but I simply can't seem to get enough of Klondike, a Magmic game, which came preloaded on my Blackberry. Ordinarily I will cross the street to avoid playing a game, but for some strange reason, I play Klondike again and again and again - while I'm waiting, sometimes even when I'm not waiting.

It became obvious to me that this game was meant to teach me something. I realized three things on the first day:

1. The order of operations matters
2. Be constantly aware - the plays are not always obvious. Sharpen awareness. Don't relax your view.
3. When you think you are stuck in a dead end - there is often one move left and that one move could win you the game.

Those are life lessons. Were you listening?

Two weeks of playing this game and the most important lesson has been delivered.

Sometimes, often even, the hand we have is not worth going the distance with. New deal, new deal, new deal. A new deal denotes a new idea. Cycle through the ideas - don't exit too quickly, don't linger longer then you should.

Now this is an important lesson for two reasons:

1. I don't feel like such an ass playing this game so much and soon I'll be
done with it for good and...
2. I am someone who gets ideas as frequently as I take breaths. Some of the ideas are very cool but not worth investing in; some ideas are worth going the distance and who knows, it could be the thought, the idea, that one in a million, or the first of the three great ideas you will have in your lifetime. [NOTE: Part three of this story will be how to catch, manage, and evaluate your ideas as a regularaly scheduled event.]

So, what I'm really saying here is: have lots and lots of ideas. You'll need them. But be ready to release the idea to the wind if it looks like it's a dead end. Don't get too attached or hang on for the sake of hanging on. It's always a good time to stop and reconsider. 

Either we can follow each idea all the way down an ever-narrowing corridor, or we can call it earlier in the game and have more chances for wins. That's what I've been reminded by playing this game. For the moment I keep playing the game. There is something there... some little hint of suggestion of what works... perhaps a formula of what evalution technique will work. It's really strange. I dislike intensely that I play it, yet I haven't quite finished with it yet. [Is this compulsive behaviour?] A winning hand only comes along once in about 20 or more games - so I scan, look for hidden solutions and then if it still looks like a no go - I choose new deal, new deal, new deal. Have you got that many ideas in the pipe? [NOTE: Part four of this story will be how to have a never ending supply of great ideas…]

When to hold and when to switch is the big question when investing in stocks. I don't think this game, or any game, will help you there. To be clear, I'm talking about ideas here, not the stock market [which I personally find to be a distasteful reality. It is different from believing in something and throwing your lot in...with the idea...the stock market is a roulette game of grand illusionary proportions] Consider an actual investment concept called the 'fear index'. I find it on par with, well... never mind. I think it is wrong and against the concept of growing good ideas, good ideas that someone will want to pay money for, ideas that are triple bottom line = for people, for the planet, for profit.

Where is my phone. One more game and I'm finished for ever!

Postscript: After writing this Post I continued to play  - I began to win more deals than I lost. I became very strategic in my actions having finally understood how one choice carries more weight than another [seemingly equal action] - ultimately the lesson, the Grand Poobah of a lesson was this: it is the quality and quantity of ideas that produces the most wins, in conjunction with a solid strategy for how to test the idea with a view to bailing or going the distance. This learning, like all great lessons, was something I knew, something I'll bet you know too. But now I am reminded of this lesson and I take note. By the way, I am completely finished with the game. This final lesson has become it's own article titled: 

An open pipeline of ideas is critical to success.

I don't like games. I love learning.

Nora

NOTE: Part two of this story will be how to test the idea.  How to be assured that the idea has what it takes...at least with 49.5% certainty, leaving room for personality disorders, weird weather conditions, and chance.