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I recently read a free 'Special Report' called How to Double Your Way to a Million by motivational guru Stuart Goldsmith. How does it work? Simple. Find a penny, double it to two cents, double the two cents to four cents, etc. In 28 steps, you've doubled your way to a million dollars. He suggested you find some partners so you can encourage each other, put your heads together and brainstorm how best to use your skills, abilities and creativity to succeed one step at a time.

I got to thinking there ought to be away to apply this to my chess rating, but instead of a penny it would be rating points. Then I could write a book and retire. No, wait, I am retired. Maybe I could make enough money to go to Disney World. No, wait, we are going there in a couple of months. I guess I don't need any more money, but the rating points I could always use. Actually, the extra money does sound nice though.

Back to the 'get rich theory.' I was reading about one lady who was very enthusiastic about this idea and decided to Blog about her attempt to follow the 'plan.'

I know you're all dying to find out how she did. She got up to 64 cents. The problem then was to figure out a way to double that. She considered maybe buying something for 64 cents and selling it on e-bay at double the cost. But, she added she couldn't get money to start coming in on that project until she made room for stocking the item. That meant getting rid of clutter and cleaning the 'wreck' her house was in.

The difficulty there was she felt she had no time. An article she read said as long as you believe you haven't got enough time, you won't have enough money...they are connected. She would wake up determined to accomplish something, but the day always got away from her. She needed to focus. Stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off, list the top five things that need done and take action. She thought meditation would help because it would enable great ideas to come to her. She chose a time to start meditating...noon the next day. So, what happened? Did she double her way to a million dollars? I don't know because she quit Blogging.

Thinking about her gave me the thought that she sounded like most chess players who determine to raise their rating. We buy books, sometimes even books that make equally hare-brained promises about becoming a master, and start off well but after a short time get sidetracked, lose motivation or can't focus. Some people, of course, stick with it; I know lots of players who have been studying for years and got stuck at the 64 point rating increase, if they even got that far.

What's wrong with us? Do we have an inherent lack of gumption or are we studying the wrong things, or in the wrong manner or...could it be that because 99.5 percent of chess players never reach master, one either has the natural ability to excel or they don't.