Games like Settlers of Catan are “resource management games,” where you make difficult choices and focus on long-term goals (like building the largest army). It’s a lot like life: You have goals, opportunities, and decisions along the way to get where you want to go. You can apply that same game logic to make the right choices.
Image from ginn5j.
When you only have so many chances to build up resources, you need to pick one goal to aim all opportunities towards. Author Patrick Rothfuss shares his own experience of focusing on opportunities (resources) that would help him towards the winning scenario of having his books translated into the movie in the way he wanted. You can do the same by picking your own “winning scenario” and thinking about how each opportunity would help you reach that goal. After all, the time and energy you spend pursuing each opportunity is spending your resources. If an opportunity won’t help you, turn it down so you can be ready for opportunities that will.
For example, if you’re playing Settlers of Catan, you need to decide how to spend your resource cards. If you want to go after the achievements (longest road and largest army) you have to pick one as your goal since you’ll have a hard time earning enough resources to go after both. Saying no isn’t always easy, but every opportunity you turn down makes room for something that helps you towards your goals.
Saying No Is Terrifying But It Might Help Your Career [The Billfold]
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