I like to win. Fortunately, most games offer two types of winning:

I like to win. Fortunately, most games offer two types of winning:
1. Defeat the competition
2. Opt out

When I was younger, I couldn't resist the Type 1 win.
Type 2 felt shameful. Embarrassing. Like quitting.

Over time, I've learned to appreciate Type 2 wins. In fact, my greatest wins have come from the games I declined to play.

We tend to opt out only when we don't enjoy something or when we're not good at it.
That's a mistake.

Sometimes the best reason to decline a game is precisely because we enjoy it.

Not all enjoyment is created equal. Some activities are so enjoyable that we willingly give them more time, attention, and energy than they deserve. The dose makes the poison and the cost is subtle: less of ourselves for the parts of life that matter most.

For me, that list includes:
- disc golf
- rec sports
- computer games
- fantasy sports
- crossfit
- sports betting
- day trading

I enjoy all of them but I've won more by opting out than I ever did by playing.

How I frame the choice matters. The goal isn't to deprive myself of enjoyment. I'm booking Type 2 wins to leave room for bigger Type 1 wins in the games I'd rather play.