My superpower is thinking ahead

This is my first post for WeblogPoMo AMA, a challenge to write AMA-style (“Ask me anything”) blog posts during November.

Read about the challenge

The question

Anne wrote this question: What is a skill or acquired ability that you use all the time that you think other people take for granted or don’t understand? AKA what is your superpower and how did you get it?

You can read her response on her blog.

My answer

Here’s my answer, which is a reply to Anne’s question. This isn’t meant to be agreement or argument with her response. WeblogPoMo AMA is a conversation across blogs. 🙂

My superpower power is being able to think a few steps ahead, about anything in my life.

I do it at work.

For context, my day job is in marketing. My core skills are in strategy and writing, but I’m asked to do all kinds of tasks across marketing functions. And that means I have to figure out a lot of things for myself, which makes thinking ahead vital.

Once I have direction on a project, I don’t need anyone to tell me how to get from initial stages to the finished project. I figure out what I need to do, and I do it.

I’m usually the one in meetings asking for clarification and noting if we go this direction, that will be impacted.

I do it with zines.

Everyone’s creative process is different. Some people start with very little planning. Some people plan every step.

I’m somewhere in between. I usually know what I want in the finished zine, and then I figure out steps to get there. What will the format be? Should I start with writing or with art?

I think ahead about what I’m making, but I try not to plan every single step. I make zines for fun, and too much planning makes them feel like work.

I do it with weekend plans.

I rarely overbook myself, and that’s because I think about how one thing on the weekend might impact another thing. For example, if I’m planning to do chores on Saturday, but then there’s an event I want to go to…if my Sunday is free, I can moves chores to Sunday.

When I’m running errands, I try to cover what I need on the same end of town. Three stores all within a few minutes of each other? I can go to all of them in an afternoon. If I need to go across town for something else, I’ll figure out when the best time is to do that.

Does all this planning stress me out?

Usually, no. Even though I plan a lot, I’m also flexible as much as possible. I like knowing the tasks I have to do and thinking about the best way to complete them. But if something doesn’t work out and I have to change plans, that’s okay. I don’t consider my plans to be set in stone.

How did I get my superpower?

It’s chess.

I started playing chess when I was about 6 years old, and I’m convinced learning the game that young got me used to thinking steps ahead.

My uncle taught me how to play—how each piece moves, how to guess at what your opponent would do, and how to look out for traps.

The following year, my class had the opportunity to play chess at school, so I could play against kids my own age. Sometimes I played really well. Sometimes I made careless mistakes. But all of it was practice in thinking ahead.

I don’t play chess regularly anymore. But I have a chess app on my phone and I’ll play against the computer now and then. One of my favorite things to do is make a move, then the computer makes a move, then I undo our moves, and try something else. It’s a good way to understand different possibilities branching off from the same arrangement of pieces.

Some final notes

I don’t think my superpower is rare, but I do think people take it for granted. I think lots of people don’t think ahead unless they’re asked to or they actually have to. I think fewer people are like me, thinking ahead automatically.

I think anyone can learn to think ahead. I think anyone can learn to make it a habit. The next time you have a project to do, think about what you want the final result to be. Then try to figure out what your steps are to reach that final point. You can try working backwards from the final point, too.

You don’t have to follow the steps you thought of. You don’t have to get every step right. (I certainly don’t.)

The point is, you’re thinking ahead to make your work easier and better. It’s about trying to anticipate what will come up over the course of your project. It’s not about being perfect.