Would you walk up to him the moment he sits down at his chair, coat still on, and make that request? You know that this coworker is cranky and temperamental before he’s had his first cup of coffee in the morning. As an example: you have a coworker from whom you need to ask a favor or make a request. Now, let’s transfer that pattern to real life. No amount of wishing, planning, praying, or hoping will change that. Let’s assume there is gray-space/open space all around it. I’ve seen this pattern constantly in Minesweeper:
#MINESWEEPER GAME KEEP PRITING ZERO HOW TO#
In other words, the board has been made clear and you know how to navigate it. So you’ve taken a risk, you have some open spaces to work with, you understand the rules, and you’ve discerned your process for getting through, and there are some “patterns of mine behavior” that are now evident. Once you know, and adhere to, the patterns your chances of success go up significantly
If your manager says “maybe” and always means “no”, then you know that maybe = no. If your engineering team likes to leave “undisclosed” 2-week buffers on their estimates, then you know potential areas for tightening up a plan if necessary. Once you know the rules you can come up with a process for how you will “sweep” the board. If there is only one square touching that open space, then you know that’s the square with the mine! 2 means two squares 3 means three squares, and so on and so forth. The game gives you clues with numbers: 1 means one square touching that open square has a mine. This is not a willy-nilly, pick-any-square game (at least not after the initial moves, see above). Learn the rules, figure out the process – it’s not called mine sweeper for nothing Risks are fundamental to playing the game risks are fundamental to doing work at work risks are fundamental to life and living.Ģ. Sometimes it blows you up, sometimes it doesn’t, but inaction is an action: if you do not take a risk you will not progress in the game. If that move doesn’t open up enough real estate for you to do any real “sweeping” then you know what? You have to take that leap of faith and make another guess. The first move you make in Minesweeper is always a guess. You must take leaps – risk-taking is a fundamental and inaction is an action , Therefore, I have something of note to share with you from that 16 x 16 set of squares.ġ.
At a job early in my career I had the wonderful confluence of circumstances which allowed me to a) learn quite a bit and b) a corporate network that hadn’t yet been fully locked down which provided for c) an the opportunity to play hours upon hours of Minesweeper.