My OperaThe Monopoly Marathon: The Essence of One’s Financial Blueprint
Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:10:31 AM
The Players:
Allan - my husband
Louis - my 14 year old son
Ferne - my 10 year old daughter
Brian - my 12 year old stepson
Michael - my 14 year old stepson who replaced Brian at 11:30 p.m. because Brian was too nervous and tired to go on
Me - entrepreneur, coach, wife, and mother of 5!
Jonathan - MIA - he was busy having a celebration with 15 of his closest friends in the basement
The Game:
We‘d been at it for not less than 5 hours and at 1 o’clock in the morning, the game still was not over. We called for a continuation the following night. I had a feeling that I could possibly win the game but the endlessness of it was starting to wear me down. I had to wake up early the next day to get ready for Father’s Day brunch for the group that was coming over to celebrate and I went to bed knowing that I'd be exhausted the following day. Yes, it was quality time with my family, but at 1 a.m. I could really feel myself resenting the amount of time I wasted buying houses, passing time in prison, and billing others for landing on my property. We were just half way through the game, and in order to get to a consensus to pause the game for the night, I promised that I would hang in for the entire game the following day. I hated the thought and secretly I hoped that in some way I could bow out of it.
The next day when it became apparent that they were going to hold me to my deal, I decided to concentrate on the game with a more discerning eye. Not only did I have every desire of obliterating my opponents (which I did), I started to observe for patterns of behaviour, strategic thinking, as well as their attitudes about money and ways to handle it. I decided that if I had to engage in the blasted game I might also learn something from it!!! As it turns out, Monopoly is actually a microcosm of life and one can learn A LOT about people by observing them play. They play the game just as they play life.
Their Tactics:
Louis: Choosy buyer. Wheeler dealer until he has practically nothing left to wheel and manage.
Brian: Buy up everything on the board. Emotional blackmailer, increasing and decreasing offers based on loyalty and mood.
Ferne: Cautious with money, kind to others and often unfocused, causing a lot of free passes to her opponents and lost opportunities.
Allan: Collect money and sell off random properties, to make certain that he has enough in case he lands on someone’s property. For him, cash is king.
Michael: Play on the brink the whole time, giving deals which leave him nearly cashless, mortgaging properties for the extra money.
Me: Slow and steady, accumulating properties with a safe load of money, never really suggesting offers, but accepting or rejecting them as they are offered.
Jonathan: Desperate to play the next game - he feels like he missed out!
The Lessons:
Yes, it’s true that these are definitely the people in my life, but it seems that they probably signify the broad range of the society when it comes to handling money in their own lives. Some people overstretch themselves, some people play very safely, some people are oblivious to opportunity, and some would prefer to get out altogether than experience the highs and lows of winning and losing.
The point is this…
A. Winning is way more enjoyable than losing, yet not if you are miserable while you play.
B. The true winner is the one who enjoys the process and learns along the way, win or ‘lose’.
C. All the games in your life are played depending on the way you think. If you're not satisfied with your results or not having fun along the way, then it is time to revisit your mental strategy.
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. She is now teaching this process to coaches all over the world for use with their clients. Revisit your mental strategy at www.assessyourframeofmind.com.
Allan - my husband
Louis - my 14 year old son
Ferne - my 10 year old daughter
Brian - my 12 year old stepson
Michael - my 14 year old stepson who replaced Brian at 11:30 p.m. because Brian was too nervous and tired to go on
Me - entrepreneur, coach, wife, and mother of 5!
Jonathan - MIA - he was busy having a celebration with 15 of his closest friends in the basement
The Game:
We‘d been at it for not less than 5 hours and at 1 o’clock in the morning, the game still was not over. We called for a continuation the following night. I had a feeling that I could possibly win the game but the endlessness of it was starting to wear me down. I had to wake up early the next day to get ready for Father’s Day brunch for the group that was coming over to celebrate and I went to bed knowing that I'd be exhausted the following day. Yes, it was quality time with my family, but at 1 a.m. I could really feel myself resenting the amount of time I wasted buying houses, passing time in prison, and billing others for landing on my property. We were just half way through the game, and in order to get to a consensus to pause the game for the night, I promised that I would hang in for the entire game the following day. I hated the thought and secretly I hoped that in some way I could bow out of it.
The next day when it became apparent that they were going to hold me to my deal, I decided to concentrate on the game with a more discerning eye. Not only did I have every desire of obliterating my opponents (which I did), I started to observe for patterns of behaviour, strategic thinking, as well as their attitudes about money and ways to handle it. I decided that if I had to engage in the blasted game I might also learn something from it!!! As it turns out, Monopoly is actually a microcosm of life and one can learn A LOT about people by observing them play. They play the game just as they play life.
Their Tactics:
Louis: Choosy buyer. Wheeler dealer until he has practically nothing left to wheel and manage.
Brian: Buy up everything on the board. Emotional blackmailer, increasing and decreasing offers based on loyalty and mood.
Ferne: Cautious with money, kind to others and often unfocused, causing a lot of free passes to her opponents and lost opportunities.
Allan: Collect money and sell off random properties, to make certain that he has enough in case he lands on someone’s property. For him, cash is king.
Michael: Play on the brink the whole time, giving deals which leave him nearly cashless, mortgaging properties for the extra money.
Me: Slow and steady, accumulating properties with a safe load of money, never really suggesting offers, but accepting or rejecting them as they are offered.
Jonathan: Desperate to play the next game - he feels like he missed out!
The Lessons:
Yes, it’s true that these are definitely the people in my life, but it seems that they probably signify the broad range of the society when it comes to handling money in their own lives. Some people overstretch themselves, some people play very safely, some people are oblivious to opportunity, and some would prefer to get out altogether than experience the highs and lows of winning and losing.
The point is this…
A. Winning is way more enjoyable than losing, yet not if you are miserable while you play.
B. The true winner is the one who enjoys the process and learns along the way, win or ‘lose’.
C. All the games in your life are played depending on the way you think. If you're not satisfied with your results or not having fun along the way, then it is time to revisit your mental strategy.
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. She is now teaching this process to coaches all over the world for use with their clients. Revisit your mental strategy at www.assessyourframeofmind.com.
