Go Back 2 Spaces

At some point you’ve probably played a board game and been cruising along making all sorts of progress — skipping spaces, rolling doubles, drawing cards that let you roll again, etc. You’re closing in on the end goal, you’ve got the finish line in your sights and down to your last card, but then your luck finally runs out! You’re sent to jail without passing Go and collecting $200, you’re stuck drawing card after card from the deck, and you land on a square that says go Go Back 2 Spaces where you immediately hit a chute and slide down all those levels back to the beginning where you land in a pit of snakes and have to skip your next turn.

I imagine at this point you’ve realized this is pretty much like life (it’s no coincidence there is a board game named Life!) and it happens to you all the time.

“Go Back 2 Spaces” could be your company’s Mission Statement

Here’s the things about having to go back 2 spaces — it’s not permanent. It’s a temporary setback.

The next card you draw or your next roll of the dice could be an instantaneous reversal of fortune. Just as you were unceremoniously pushed back a few steps, it’s just as likely you could be vaulted forward and jump ahead a few spaces.

In the event you do have to go back a few spaces, use that time to your advantage. Review the lessons you learned from your successes and from your failures (especially the one that forced you to most recently go back a couple spaces).

Having the ability to step back (even if it is 2 whole spaces) can give you perspective. It allows you to see the bigger picture and perhaps a few angles you missed when you were closer to achieving your original goal.

Before you know it, you’ll be back in the game and winning big!