Life lessons from the game table

Daily Journal Prompts - 15 May 2025

Author

Suren Rastogi
May 15, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Over the past week, I officially became a volunteer at the National Library.

My role? Teaching people how to play board games.

As part of the induction, I spent four hours with fellow volunteers learning how to teach a range of games to players of all ages. We played, we observed, we shared notes.

And in between the rules, mechanics, and tokens, I started noticing something else:

These games weren’t just teaching gameplay — they were revealing life lessons.

1. Setup Takes Time — Don’t Rush the Foundations

Every game starts with a careful setup: laying out the board, understanding the rules, assigning roles. Skip it and the entire game suffers.

In life, your setup matters too. Routines, boundaries, and intentions set the tone for what follows. Don’t skip the part where you prepare.

2. Mid-Game Pivots Are Part of the Plan

You might start with one strategy, then realise it’s not working. The best players don’t complain. They adapt.

Same goes for life. No plan survives first contact with reality. Flexibility isn’t failure, it’s wisdom.

3. Clarity Comes Mid-Game

No matter how many times you read the rulebook, things don’t fully make sense until you play.

Life rarely reveals itself at the starting line. Don’t wait for full clarity to begin. Start anyway. The learning happens mid-play.

4. You Play Better When You’re Present

You could spot the distracted players instantly. They missed turns. Repeated questions. Lost interest.

Attention changes everything. In games, and in life, presence is a superpower.

6. Don’t Just Play to Win — Play to Improve

The most engaging players weren’t obsessed with winning. They were focused on understanding, learning, and getting better.

In life, outcomes matter. But growth is what endures. Play for the person you're becoming.

This week’s prompts help you to reflect on the rules, roles, and rhythms shaping your own game.

Prompts for the week (Thursday - Sunday)

Setups & Systems

1 - What’s one area in my life where I’ve been skipping the setup? How is that affecting my experience?

2 - How can I build stronger foundations for the routines I want to follow?

Strategy & Adaptation

1 - Where in my life do I need to pivot or adjust my current plan?

2 - What’s something I only understood better after I started doing it?

Presence & Progress

1 - What distracts me from being fully present in the areas that matter?

2 - What’s one way I can focus less on outcomes and more on learning this week?

Get the most out of your journalling:

  • Choose one prompt: Focus on just one prompt each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

  • Be brutally honest: Reflect openly and honestly. This is your safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

  • Take your time: Sometimes it takes a few days to clarify your thinking. Here’s permission for you to take your time to unravel a prompt and not take on any new ones during that time.

  • Journal your way: Whether you prefer writing, audio recording, or video, choose the method that suits you best.

  • Don't stress about streaks: If you miss a day, don't worry. You can always revisit a previous prompt.

I’d love your feedback

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply this mail and let me know!

Keep growing,

Suren

Your fellow journaler

Reply

or to participate.