Many years ago after I graduated, I worked in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. Speed defined my work and life. I rushed through my mornings with meetings and working between departments. My weekends were supposed to be my rest days; instead, I worked on my weekends, preparing for reports in advance so I wouldn’t need to rush the next Monday. I thought this could boost productivity, but it made me feel drained. I crammed as much work as possible into every hour, all at once, without realising how it affected me. I was young, I told myself I could do more without needing more rest. I didn’t walk; I raced, skipped meals, sometimes delayed my meals, or substituted with junk food.
Then, one evening, as I was walking to grab dinner. I saw two men sitting at the corner of a coffee shop, with a chessboard between them. One rested his fingers on his bishop. The other waited, both hands resting on the table, seemingly analyzing the game and patiently waiting for his turn. Simply present. As I passed by, I walked slower, maybe out of nostalgia, maybe out of curiosity.
It’s quite rare to see this nowadays, where people aren’t in a hurry. They didn’t talk much, nor check their phones. They took their time, thoughtfully considering each move. For some reason, watching them brought back the joy when my dad taught me how to play chess so long ago. I couldn’t remember the last time I slowed down in my life. That evening, I observed both players moving their pieces, pausing, waiting for their turns, taking a few moments to think, and sipping coffee in between. This reminded me of journaling and walking at dusk near my apartment. There was no rush to finish; it was about being with the game, enjoying it without worrying about the outcome.
Where Chess and Slow Living Meet
Slow living is not about doing everything in slow motion; instead, it’s doing things with intention. In life, what we plan may not happen as we wish, but if we keep on moving too fast without reflecting, we risk losing sight of what truly matters. When we pause and reflect, we can navigate problems and determine how to deal with them. Without pausing, we may miss hidden lessons and end up making more mistakes unknowingly.
Every Move Has Weight
In chess, every movement is a thoughtful move. Every move causes a ripple. You can’t move randomly without thinking beforehand and hope there are no consequences. When you pause, you have the space to reflect before you respond to the situation. You think several steps ahead.
The same is true in a slow-living lifestyle. Whether you are deciding what to buy or how you spend your money, how you spend your weekend, or how to respond to a situation, you slow down and take your time before you respond. By not reacting immediately, you listen and plan before making a decision, rather than acting by default. This way, you are mindful of every action. You are strategic. You may ask yourself, “Is this aligned with my values?” What are the consequences of this action? If we examine our daily lives before we say yes to another request, buy another item, or fill our day, pause and reflect, does it matter after a few days? We can plan and make our day meaningful through thoughtful actions ahead. Our actions result in the long term. Instead of doing for the sake of doing, buying for the sake of buying out of noise. Impulse buying can cause long-term financial loss. When you are not buying into the latest trends or upgrading mindlessly, it’s not a loss. You may need to sacrifice a piece, and let go of your ego, but doing so allows you to have a stronger position down the road, this creates opportunities in future, able to take a career break, increase your retirement fund, or purchases that truly add value to your life. Sometimes, a simple act like walking is all you need. I strapped my Apple Watch that helped me in fitness tracking-a watch which I had acquired after selling one I had bought on impulse.
We can check ourselves when making decisions with our time, money, and speech, which are often made too fast. When we slow down, we reflect and live more intentionally, making better moves. When you start walking, you train yourself to be with your thoughts, and you pause, process, and decide. Walking and a chess move, you walk with awareness and calmness, not rushing through.
The Power of Silence Between the Moves
If you observe a great chess game, you will notice long periods of silence. Great actions are executed in silence. During a chess game, long periods of silence may appear uneventful, but much is happening internally as players contemplate their next move.
This mirrors something I had forgotten in everyday life: how to appreciate stillness. I used to fill every quiet moment with noise, attend gatherings even when I needed more rest, turn on the TV while scrolling social media, listening to YouTube to sleep. Silence made me uncomfortable and it’s unpleasant to sit with it. But when I started practising slow living, especially through chess, I began to accept the thoughts around me instead of escaping them. Slowing down at first felt like the problem was amplified, and I wished the time would pass faster, so instead of stuffing this noise with activities, buying stuff, eating irregularly, eating junk, these patterns, slowing down with journaling process my thoughts internally. Because of this process, I can face fears I’ve been avoiding, the rest and care my body needs, identify the self-doubts with more compassion, and spend more time with people who matter to me. Slow living invites us to reflect instead of running away from it. Some problems I faced in my 30s, I have more perspective in mid-walk. Walking is stillness in motion, you move your body, and your mind quiets, a habit that you live the present and sharpen your mind.
Chess & Perfectionism: Courage Matters
Sometimes, whenever we want to start something. We tend to overthink. We tend to overanalyse situations that may never happen or seek the perfect scenario or results. Waiting for the perfect moment has often led me to take no action. Striving for the best execution can be paralysing. Perfectionism in chess, like in life, can lead to fear, wasted time, and inaction. I always doubt myself when starting a project, during the ideation process, or even while working on multiple drafts of articles for my website. I end up deleting them after days of work, never feeling satisfied with my writing or having the courage to hit the publish button. I always wanted everything figured out with a perfect plan. Although I felt comfortable and complacent, I also felt bored and resisted settling. In the later phase of my life, I struggled with uncertainty, just like the game of chess which is full of unpredictable situations, comfort or risk. I learned to take small steps and adapt to situations that come to me. Along the way, I made many mistakes and I shall treat them as learning opportunities rather than failure. Trying to learn to let go of the illusion of control.
In this game of chess, we cannot move all the pieces all at once, everywhere. Chess teaches me about patience. You focus on one move and wait for your turn. This applies to slow living where we try to multitask, and try to do everything all at once, overcommitting to tasks and obligations that will spread ourselves thin. When you are overcommitting, you could feel like a loser if you can’t complete everything as you wish with high expectations, but when you focus on one thing at a time, that is where real progress happens. Remove unnecessary items from to-do lists and try one-task living for a day in a week and nothing else. You could feel bored at first but that’s the time you listen, feel and understand yourself. Give yourself your full attention. When you are walking, silence your phone notifications. Notice how much lighter you feel when you stop getting distracted and focusing on one important thing.
Final Thoughts: Slowness is A Power Move
This game of chess reminds me that life is not about speed, it’s about being present.
Taking a thoughtful and courageous move reveals the beauty of life.
Slow living is the art of walking through challenges and uncertainty like a chess player, being responsible and courageous in every step.