Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Chess Athlete

In the beginning of 2019, I decided to incorporate into my life- New Year Resolutions. Well, actually New Day Resolutions. What are they, you wonder? It is a new resolution, an action I pledge to take, every day, and the list would keep on expanding. So, if I had followed it through a whole year, say, at the end of the year I would be following 365 new resolutions.

That was the plan anyway.

As the number of resolutions started to build up, I had trouble keeping up with them, obviously. But nothing significant can be achieved easily, right?

The resolutions were not earth-shattering, as you can imagine. Adding one more difficult thing to do every day would be an impossible task. So, each of the resolutions is pretty simple.

Once I reached day 130, I decided to stop this madness. Already I was not following many(or any) of the previous days’ resolutions. But what I have built is an action-plan, a mission, if one choose to accept it, to transform themselves into something else. That something else is to become a Chess Athlete.

I will list the 130 resolutions I have designed, and my promise is that, if you were to follow them all or at least many of them, every single day, you will be transformed beyond your wildest imagination. It won’t be easy, but it is a simple way!

Start the day with 30 Push-Ups.
Drink 500mL of water soon after waking up.
Watch an informative video on social media.
Hand wash a clothing.
Hear a favoutire song.
Read a book.
No Breakfast, except Bulletproof Coffee.
Adapt.
Take Supplements.
Take a Selfie.
Take Cold Shower.
No Carbs, except post-workout.
Forgive yourself.
Watch an episode of a TV series.
Be Grateful.
Write a Quote.
Post on Instagram/Facebook.
Do 40 Squats.
Train Biceps/Triceps on alternate days.
Try something new.
Sleep by 11pm.
Play a Blitz Game online.
Hear a podcast.
Send a Friend Request.
Take the stairs.
Walk.
Eat Animal Protein.
Cook.
Do 25 Mugdar Twists.
Do 6 Pull-Ups.
Do Deadlifts.
Use Brain Training Apps.
Connect with a Friend.
Teach.
Organize.
Laugh.
Run.
Lead.
Learn from mistakes made.
Change.
Explore.
Take Photos.
Plan.
Ride a Bicycle.
Play with Kids.
Listen to a Motivational/Inspirational/Philosophical song.
Learn.
Travel.
Conserve Energy.
Help.
Meet New People.
Shop,
Connect with Nature.
Choose Happiness.
Watch a Sport.
Nap.
Rest.
Simplify.
Re-watch a Favourite movie.
Binge.
Decide.
Watch a Documentary.
Collect Data.
Install a new App.
Play a Video Game.
Search.
Meditate.
Create Content.
Wear Blue-Blocking Glasses at Night.
Think Long-term.
Invest in Yourself.
Declutter.
Listen to a new song.
Cry.
Download.
Ask for a favour.
Mentor.
Take Notes.
Be Interested.
Network.
Navigate.
Celebrate.
Analyse.
Wander.
Buy.
Lose.
Make a Bet.
Chat.
Take a Video.
Fast.
Promote.
Inspire.
Innovate.
Show Vulnerability.
Eat Almonds. (Soaked and skin peeled.)
Be on Time.
Eat a Cruciferous Vegetable.
Dishwash.
Wear 2 T-Shirts in a day.
Pack.
Dance.
Consume Glutamine.
Do an Isometric Exercise.
Share.
Consume BCAAs.
Sing.
Recharge.
Hire.
Follow.
Win.
Converse.
Cancel.
Engage the Default Mode Network.
Reread.
Add Spices.
Do some Ab workout.
Drink Fresh Juice.
Put mobile on Aeroplane mode while sleeping.
Share a Memory.
Sacrifice.
Withdraw.
Uninstall.
Consume Whey Protein.
Rearrange.
Repair.
Take Stock.
Subscribe.
Take a Chance.
Unfollow.
Root for Someone.
As you can see, some of those resolutions are tailor made for me. Some are outright stupid, some appear to be reappearing, that is overlapping a bit, and some may not even make sense to you.

I am planning to write an E-book detailing the reasoning behind each of the resolutions and why you should do it, or at least modify it a bit, and attempt it.

One of the important resolutions is “Adapt”. Which means you have to adapt to the particular place, time and situation you are in, which invariably means you can not do it all, every day. But the more you can fit into a day, the better it will be, in my opinion.

I am more of a expert on Ideation, than on Execution. So, as you can imagine, I haven’t adhered to those resolutions very closely(or loosely). But if you were to attempt this challenge, with my guidance or without, for a reasonably long period of time, you would be on the way of becoming a Chess Athlete.

You might wonder, where is the Chess part?

I’m of the belief that, while it is very important to prepare Chess, it is more important to be a full-fledged, well-rounded human being, and that will in turn help Good Chess come through you. Being(or becoming) a Chess Athlete means you are doing everything towards improving yourself, as a person first, and when combined with sufficient Chess skill development, you would become the best possible version of yourself. That is the goal, isn’t it?

Also, I can somehow argue that each of the resolutions has a direct influence on your chess strength, but for that you need to buy my book “How to become a Chess Athlete” when(or if) it comes out.

And, if you are not a Chess Player, you can still follow these, and it will improve you in your field of interest for sure, as there’s nothing directly related to Chess in these resolutions. Agree?

Stay Alstoned,

Randy Alstone!

King of Kings

Before I tell you how to become the King of Kings, have you read my earlier blog post about becoming a Chess Athlete?

Glad, if you have. So, as you know, I devised 130 New Day Resolutions to follow in the year 2019. But this is 2020! What do I want to become? First of all, Who is the King of Kings? There’s a poem I wrote when I was in high school which will (not) answer that!

KING OF KINGS
Sun, the source of Energy,

Which planets circle around,

Which itself would fear him,

He is the King of Kings.

Land, the place we live,

Which guarantees our life,

Which itself can’t bear him,

He is the King of Kings.

Water, the necessity of world,

Which occupies most space,

Which itself would cheer him,

He is the King of Kings.

Fire, the source of heat,

Which would destroy life,

Which would freeze for him,

He is the King of Kings.

Air, the source of oxygen,

Which surrounds the earth,

Which itself would obey him,

He is the King of Kings.

Sky, the space’s virtual boundary,

Which is actually limitless,

Which itself bonded to him,

He is the King of Kings.

God, the mightiest of all,

Who could change everything,

Who himself would admire him,

He is the King of Kings.

Who is the King of Kings?

You may question me,

He who works really hard,

He is the King of Kings.

That was funny or really deep and meaningful, I don’t know.

So I made a list of Good Qualities that I would like to have or develop in order to become the King of Kings. When I was in high school, some 13 years ago. (Full disclosure, King of Kings was one of the nicknames of Triple H, a WWE wrestler, at that point in time.)

Anyway, that was then, this is now. So, I still have the list of good qualities (printed out), which if perfected and internalized, one can assume or proclaim himself to be the King of Kings.

GOOD QUALITIES
Activeness.
Brilliance.
Creativity.
Determination.
Energy.
Fearlessness.
Gratitude.
Honesty.
Integrity.
Justice.
Kindness.
Love.
Memory.
Neatness.
Originality.
Punctuality.
Quality of speech/words.
Reality.
Scene-Creation.
Tenacity.
Understanding.
Vengeance.
Wrestling.
Xactness.
Youth.
Zeal.
So, in this new year of 2020, I am going to attempt becoming the King of Kings. I’m planning to make some action steps that will distill and instill these qualities one by one. Shout-out to one of my close friends, Jeeva, who always asks me about how to become the King of Kings, without whose insistence I wouldn’t have dig up the list from years ago!

Which quality do you think you need to focus on in 2020? Comment below.

P.S. If you are a female, you can become a Queen of Queens or Queen of Kings or something. I don’t know, sorry.

Stay Alstoned,

Randy Alstone!

23 Ways to Sure Success

In the early hours of November 20, 2017, I put pen to paper and wrote the outline for a book. I didn’t try to write it; it came out of me. The title of the book – “23 Ways to Achieve Sure Success”.

I have an affinity towards the number 23, as I was born on March 23rd. Ever since high school days, when I started reading books, especially of the self-help genre, I wanted to write a book titled “Sure Success”. Hence the title.

Even after conception of the outline for the book, I didn’t put any effort in writing it, because I had a lot on my plate. But in 2019, I thought to myself that I would research and write the book and publish it on March 23, 2020! How wrong was I!

A good book takes a lot of work. A great book takes a lot of research. A book that sells need a lot of credibility! Since I lack in all three, as of now, I won’t be publishing the book coming March 23. I plan to release “Concise Edition: 23 Ways to Achieve Sure Success”, though. Because, while I know the Ways I have conceived of are sound, I would not have much credibility to back them up at this point of time. So, I will release the concise edition this year, and after applying the principles from the book in my own life and achieved the promised Sure Success myself, I would then release the full edition in the future. I am planning like in 2029, if you can wait for that long!

So, why am I blabbering about this now? Valid question. Even though I just have the outline for the book, I have shared these ‘Ways’ with some friends and even taught them to few of my students (instead of teaching Chess, I know). As I believe in the validity of these ‘Ways’, I didn’t want to wait until the release of the concise edition to share them with you! Who knows, maybe you will pick up a way or two from this and achieve something in the coming days and weeks.

So, without further ado, here are the ‘Ways’ from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.

23 WAYS TO ACHIEVE SURE SUCCESS
Way 1. Action – You need to do the action. Do what has to be done.

Way 2. Break – Have sufficient breaks. Rest, recover.

Way 3. Cause – Find the cause of your problems. Treat the root cause.

Way 4. Diet – Follow a healthy diet. Try Chess Diet.

Way 5. Exercise – Work out 23 minutes a day. Walk 23 minutes a day.

Way 6. Fast – Fast 12 hours every day. Fast 23 hours, 2 days a month.

Way 7. Game – Play some games every day. Brain Training games.

Way 8. Hide – Conceal your plans, goals. Hide your secrets.

Way 9. Ink – Write your plans and goals. Write every day.

Way 10. Just – Be just in your actions. Be just in your decisions.

Way 11. Knack – Find your knack. Pursue your knack.

Way 12. Learn – Be constantly learning. Relearn by teaching.

Way 13. Mind – Learn to control your Mind. Program your Mind.

Way 14. Novelty – Insert novelty in your life. Find new ways.

Way 15. Obsession – Find a passion to be obsessive. Obsess over right action.

Way 16. Positive – Be positive. Think You Can.

Way 17. Question – Question every assumption. Question every successful person, then learn.

Way 18. Read – Read a book a week. Read inspiring words every day.

Way 19. Small – Start small. Make small changes.

Way 20. Trick – Trick yourself into right action. Trick others into your thinking/way.

Way 21. Understand – Stand under Experts. Understand the way things work.

Way 22. Vice – Manage your vices. Eliminate your vices.

Way 23. Waste – Identify the resources you are wasting. Avoid wasting valuable resources.

Way 24. Xperience – Learn from experiences. Search for experiences.

Way 25. Y (Why) – Find your Why. Remember your Why.

Way 26. Zero – Always be Zero. Add Value.

(The ‘Ways’ 24, 25 and 26 are overarching ‘Ways’.)

As you can see, those are a lot. But they are not steps, to be taken one by one, just ‘Ways’. Each way by itself has a value. You can add a few of the ‘Ways’ into your life and can achieve more Success, if not Sure Success.

Comment below which ‘Way’ you will incorporate into your Life right now!

Wishing you Sure Success,

Randy Alstone!

Stay Alstoned!

How not to die?

To be alive is the primary purpose of living. To not die, we must live. To live, we must do certain necessary actions, in terms of biology, like eating, sleeping and excreting etc.,

But living well is a hard chore, especially if you don’t have the necessary knowledge.

You need to know how to manage your mind and body well. Have them under your control, not to be controlled by them. Isn’t that a highly improbable task?

Anyway, let me share with you my list of supplements, herbs, spices and other healthy stuff that I have in my pantry to use as per need.

60 Ways to Heal Yourself

Tulsi Tea
Ginger, Mint & Lemon Green Tea
Chamomile Green Tea
Yerba Mate Tea
Tulsi, Honey, Chamomile Tea
Spirulina Powder
Collagen Peptides
Branched Chain Amino Acids
Moringa Powder
Glutamine
Creatine Monohydrate
Chlorella
Whey Protein
Tinospora Cordifolia
Aloe Vera
Ashvagandha
Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Raw Honey
Rosemary
Onion Powder
Ginger Powder
Garlic Powder
Cinnamon Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Clove
Fennel Seeds
Cumin Powder
Sage
Himalayan Pink Salt
Turmeric Powder
Ghee
Coconut Oil
Stevia
Filter Coffee Powder
Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)
Vitamin D3
CoQ10
Ginkgo Biloba
Vitamin K2
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Vitamin C
Iron
Resveratrol
Magnesium Citrate
Melatonin
Probiotics
5-HTP
L-Glycine
Potassium Citrate
Selenium
Chromium Picolinate
Activated Charcoal
Zinc
Omega 3
Nicotine Gum
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
Bergamot Essential Oil
Essential Tea Tree Oil
MCT Oil
I thought the list will go to 100 items, but alas it is yet to expand, hopefully, with gaining more knowledge and understanding in the future.

Stay Alstoned, if you want to live!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Randy Alstone

Reading a lot,
taking proper Action after,
creating something New,
being Determined,
staying Young forever.

Achieving great feats,
spreading Love,
being Strong always,
employing Tact,
thinking Objectively,
expanding the Name,
radiating Energy.

These are what I wish and try to do/be/achieve..

Signing Off,
Randy Alstone!

Stay Alstoned!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

I Want You

I wrote this poem/want 4 months back, sharing it on Valentine's Day.

I Want You

I want someone to sit in silence with,
I want someone to learn together,
To play with each other,
To fight, at times, only to reconcile soon after.

I want someone to share dreams with,
To chase those dreams,
To write legacies together.

I want someone intelligent, beautiful and wise,
With an extreme knack for Chess.

I want someone who is equally health-conscious as me,
Someone with whom I can workout,
Talk about evils of gluten,
Share infinite amounts of coffee.

I want someone to care for, to love, to make love,
To bring a new life with.

I want someone, and I want you.


Signing off, Randy Alstone!

Stay Alstoned!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Spark

I have written this poem in 2014, I think. Just found it while browsing through my files in the Laptop. Tomorrow a Tamil movie titled "Theri" is releasing, which translates roughly to mean "Spark".

Spark

Where is the fire in you?
The spark that created all that is meaningful,
Where is the fire in you?
The goal that showed all that is possible,
Where is the fire in you?

It is late, and you have let the fire to cool off,
But a Spark is all that is needed to light the fire once again,
Brighter than it ever was.


Here is the Fire!

Signing Off, Randy Alstone!

Stay Alstoned!