Look three moves ahead and you’ll beat most people. Most people don’t look past their own next move.

Thinking ahead sounds like it needs talent and mostly needs a habit. One question, asked repeatedly, does most of the work: what happens after that. Hardly anybody asks it, because the next move feels like the entire problem, so even a modest amount of looking forward puts you well in front. Three steps is plenty, and nobody needs to see the whole game.

Take a decision you are about to make and run it forward three steps on paper. If I do this, they do that, then I am here. It takes two minutes and often changes your choice.