The Power of Discipline: A Chess Master's Journey
Leisure illustrations by Storyset
My elder brother is a FIDE-rated chess master and Nigeria’s longest number one chess player over a period of 2 decades. You would only know this if you paid attention to Nigerian chess, which I think is such an odd taste, if you ask me. Most of us who have this odd taste for chess are either competitors for the spot, family members of the top 10 players, chess enthusiasts from Nigeria, and maybe neighboring countries like Ghana and Cameroon.
My brother got to that position against all odds from the age of 18 and has been on and off for many years, but I think there was a decade he maintained it for the longest of times.
For my brother to get there, it took interest/motivation, willpower, self-control, and goal-setting…much more than most people in the country of 200 million people could provide.
In this post, I want to take you through the journey of discipline through the eyes of a younger brother as he watched his brother attain self-mastery through the game of chess. Maybe if you read this story, you would see what it takes to build discipline through the psychological concepts applied in this story.
Motivation/Interest
People illustrations by Storyset
When my brother was younger than a teenager, he watched as my father lost to a rival he had in the community. I’m close to 13 years younger than him (I know my parents spaced us out and had 8 of us), so I hear the story being painted out in different ways, but the most popular one is that he used to cry watching my dad lose to this man.
He had a deep interest to beat the man and avenge my father…a very common superhero theme if you ask me. The usual case is that the superhero loses a parent to a highly skilled fighter who has malicious intent and the superhero fights him but is spared because he is young, and the villain doesn’t mind the superhero retraining to fight him.
In chess, nobody dies, but the pain of watching your father beaten and probably laughed at (as is common in chess gatherings) probably hurt enough for him to come back home from school every day and play the man.
One day, my brother comes home smiling, unlike other days where the man had beaten him to tears… HE WON! He beat the man who beat my father!
The goal was simple: beat this man no matter how long it takes, and it took a long time, but it was achieved.
There is no behavior that is not driven by motivation. Motivation comes from internal desires, external rewards, and social pressures. All of this was found in the fact that my brother wanted to beat this man.
My brother would have never been motivated to beat this man if he didn't have the interest to do so. I see interest as a surface picture and motivation as the picture that cuts deep into the core of your being... What are you interested in and motivated to do?
Self-control
People illustrations by Storyset
I have watched my brother grow into the man he was as I grew into a teenager. I have watched him go through life with all its hurdles, both hurdles we faced as a family together and the hurdles he faced as an individual.
Most amazing to watch was when he broke his arm in a car accident and was recovering. There was a competition in another state he knew he had worked hard and trained for. The whole family felt he should stay home and heal, but he had better plans.
He drove his automatic Honda Prius miles to Port Harcourt, spent about a week, and came home again, defeating life with a smile on his face despite all the trauma.
Self-control, not as the more spiritual would put it, is the ability to regulate your behavior in order to achieve a goal. So, this was not about the competition itself; it was about the training that went into winning that competition. Despite being in pain with a fractured humerus, he managed to show up to train for that competition.
Willpower
People illustrations by Storyset
This is the ability to resist temptation or delay gratification in order to achieve a long-term goal. You can only know how much of the person's willpower exists by how long they continue doing the act before it is depleted. This is why willpower is often described as a limited resource.
At the same time, willpower is a muscle...the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. You set small goals, and with time, you find yourself doing big things every day.
He won in the small town that my family lived in before I was born after winning my dad's rival. Then we moved to a bigger city when I was born, and he was already a champ to my knowledge. Then he moved further and further up the ranks in Nigeria by winning most of the competitions that came his way.
Goal Setting
People illustrations by Storyset
Where do you want to be by tomorrow? Do you want to get to the next level or do you still want to be stuck where you are? In order to do the things you wish to do, you must become the person who is capable of doing them.
You can only become capable of doing the things you want to do by building the willpower through goal setting and goal attainment.
Til today, my brother still works as hard as he can, and his willpower has built him an academy called the C1 Chess Academy where he teaches children all the acts of discipline that have brought him to the point he is today. He is currently ranked number 5, and I think it is a thing of joy to watch a newer, stronger generation grow and be a part of that.
Do you struggle with discipline? Would you like to have a talk about it?
You can send me a message on WhatsApp at +2348134530293, and we can have a conversation, or you can speak with a licensed therapist.
Conclusion
In conclusion, goal setting is an essential part of developing the willpower needed to exercise self-discipline. By setting clear, specific, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, individuals can focus their efforts and build the self-control needed to achieve their desired outcomes.
Building willpower through goal attainment can help individuals to resist temptation, control impulses, and persist in the face of obstacles.
My brother's story is a testament to the power of discipline and goal setting, as he has been able to achieve great success in his field through his dedication and hard work.
If you struggle with discipline, seeking support and guidance from others can be helpful in building the skills and habits needed to exercise self-discipline.
Have you ever played chess before? What is your experience with the game? What do you think about the idea of discipline and self-mastery? How important do you think these concepts are in achieving success?
Do you have any experience with goal setting? What techniques have you used to achieve your goals? How do you stay motivated to achieve your goals, especially when faced with setbacks or obstacles?
Do you think discipline and willpower are innate traits or can they be developed over time? How have you developed your own discipline and willpower? Have you ever pursued a passion or interest against all odds? What was your experience like?
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