does the chess help in every day life

Why is pool regular life and chess not?

beer.

Yes and no. Chess has helped me be more patient and think things through step by step. Chess also helped me waste a lot of time in study hall when I should have been doing class work.

Nah, regular life gets in the way of beer.

Then again, pool gets in the way of beer...

Ergo; pool is regular life.

seems to me that regular life leads to beer. 

Patience and surviving setbacks

I think that chess can increase your chance in winning checker-realted games. I was able to beat everyone in class playing checkers after a two-round of chess.

Checker-realted games = Different versions of checkers.

I started getting back into playing more a few months ago, and I feel like my general tactical awareness is better (e.g. at work, writing).  I'm more sensitive to real risks and influences that I might previously have ignored, and more able to ignore things that seem important/relevant but aren't.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking or being better able to identify and label something I've always been doing, but I feel more aware.  Others will have to judge whether it's improved my decision-making.  Regardless, it's given me another incentive to keep playing...