My 2024 reaction to this post was going to be a cynical take about how Americans don't appreciate soccer.

But, I read it again on this first day of 2025 as I was reflecting on the year to come, and it hit differently. Life IS more like soccer than any other sport.

Soccer - as Brazilian footballer Pelé said - is the "Beautiful Game". This beauty happens during all that "inconsequential action". And this is indeed a great metaphor for life. Like life where you are born plays an important role in how you play the game. If you are Brazilian, it's more like a dance. If you are German, like a robotic machine, if Italian, like defending a medieval castle, and if you are American, it's about the raw athletic ability of each individual player, doing their best to win the game.

In life, just like soccer, there are moments of great achievements that matter. But the enjoyment comes from the journey, all that "inconsequential action" which turns out to be quite consequential.

Happy New Year! Make 2025 consequential!

love this take 

and it’s funny i woke up with a similar thought but different angle

life as a sport is a weak metaphor, finite vs infinite game

there are aspects of life it works well for, like building a company

but most of the marrow in life is eating food with people you love, walking, dancing, looking at beautiful things, learning

things that are done for their own sake and antithetical to keeping score