Beginners Gone Pro #3: Play methodically and with a plan

Play with a plan.  always

             Sometimes we do get bored and just make random waiting moves, not bothering to think about what is the real best move. Although sometimes this is necessary, usually it is not and sucks out the fun from chess, and the point of playing at all. By plan I do not mean a 15 move mating sequence but rather a general scheme of an aim that you want to achieve, like weakening your opponent's defenses, developing pieces to key squares before an attack (Morphy-like buildup) and playing for small advantages, such as a pawn advantage (Capablanca).

Below is a game where I choose to undermine my opponent's defenses, sacrificing the initiative to do so:

and here is a game where as black he should have looked into MY plan before getting greedy.