A start of another year , the last of the fifth decade.
Looking ahead, there are some goals I'd like to achieve over the next 365 days, with the return to normal life after a 2-year pandemic blankout.
Chesswise, I am contemplating making the switch from individual lessons to outreaching lots more given the depleting resource of time. Introducing students to more self-study methods rather than just showing them things. In this respect I agree with world-class chess coach when he remarked that the realm of chess coaching is misguided due to the approach taken by top player-turned-coaches. Most of the authors today make coaching an information transfer rather than address the shortcomings of each individual student. In short, they do not solve the problem of student's inability to improve. I too am guilty of dishing out canned lessons at times to fulfil a period of instruction.
There comes a dilemma whether to drop a student owing to lack of interest on his part resulting in loss of income, or to soldier on waiting for the proverbial spark to light. Of late I have been reducing my individual lessons to allow more time to chart my future undertakings. Spend more time on music, learning theory, sing (still my first love) apart from chess-related activities. As our time on earth diminishes, we are driven to be selective in our projects and evaluate not just their viability but also their benefit to the community we're in.
Some decisions shall be made in the days ahead.
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