Why Pushing Harder Might Be Holding You Back

All I saw was her red hair.
All I felt was the wind from her speed.

For a second, I thought maybe dinosaurs were back.
But we were in the airport.
So I figured she was just late.

Five minutes later…

Same lady.
Same speed.
Now running in the opposite direction.

She wasn’t just late.
She was late and wrong.

All that energy.
All that time.

Just to go the wrong way.
Then more to fix it.

At first I laughed.
Then started swimming in my thoughts.

How many times have I done the same?

In chess. In career. In learning. In gym. In relations. In ChessMood.

Pushed hard.
Slept little.
Worked like a maniac.

Only to realize…
I was sprinting in the wrong direction.

Now I invite you to think.
How many times have you done it too?

Gave it your all.
Full focus. Full energy. Full heart.

Only to realize…
Weeks later. Months later. Sometimes even years…
You were heading the wrong way. 

In life.
And in your chess journey.

You trained your calculation…
while you didn’t even know basic tactical and mating patterns.

You bought your 11th course against 1.d4…
while all you needed was to improve your middlegame.

Your 3rd book on endgame theories…
while all you really needed was to understand endgame strategy.

You spent a year.
Worked hard.
Stayed disciplined.

Your rating?
Plus zero.

Hurts more than stepping on a LEGO.

But the opposite is just as tricky.

We all know people who stay stuck.
Planning. Replanning. Thinking. Organizing. Preparing. Rethinking. 

You kinda wanna buy them a T-shirt that says
“I’ll do it one day.”

They’re always getting ready.

So what’s the solution?
Vishen Lakhiani, the founder of Mindvalley, once told me:

The solution is in the balance.
The sweet dance between speed and navigation.

All gas, no map? Disaster.
All map, no gas? Stuck forever.

We need to dance.
Step back. Step forward. Repeat.

That’s why I disappear sometimes.
Retreats. Silence. Reflection.

To check my compass.
In relationships.
In my spiritual journey.
In my ideas. 

Even in ChessMood.
Especially ChessMood.

Now we’re building our AI Coach.
Spending tons of resources, time, and energy.

How horrible would it be to find out, after 2 years, we built it the wrong way?

That’s one of the reasons I spent a month in the US.
Spent days with engineers. AI experts. Even inside Google.

That’s why I have mentors and advisors.
People smarter than me. In life and in specific areas.

So I don’t wake up years later thinking,
“Wait… how did I end up here?”

Does it guarantee anything?
Not really. 

But it reduces the chances of a big catastrophe.

The kind that eats years…
and makes you say,
“Well, that was dumb.”

So don’t just push.
And don’t get stuck planning.

Zoom out. Zoom in.
Push. Pause. Reflect. Go again.

Like that red-haired lady.
But in the right direction.

In life and in your chess journey.

With best wishes, and love
GM Avetik