My Five Whys

By Premier Chess CEO National Master Evan Rabin 

My business coach Richard Pierce inspired me to think about my 3-5 whys that drive me to succeed  in business and life. If there’s one thing I have learned about goalsetting over the years, its that one of the best ways to be to achieve one’s goals is to be transparent to build accountability. Therefore, here I am talking openly about what I want, personally and professionally in order from highest to lowest priority:

1) Family

There is truly nothing that is more important to me then my family. I don’t listen to anyone more than my one living grandparent, my grandmother Roberta, my dad’s mother. While friends come and go, my family lives on forever.

2) Judaism

In order to constantly grow in all of my endeavors, I am inspired by Jewish roots. Ever since my Taglit Birhright trip in 2008, I have wanted to learn more about Judaism and Israel.  In 2011, I studied abroad as a Masa participant at the Tel Aviv University. Since then, I’ve been to Israel twice and have been active with several Jewish organizations, including the Tremont Street Shul in Cambridge, where I led the 20s 30s group for a while, Jpulse, JICNY and Manhattan Jewish Experience, where I am now in the senior fellowship program.

3) Friends 

I would never be able to grow, run a business, or have much success if it weren’t all my friends, including these great gentleman at Guitar Guide Guru CEO Mike Papapavlou and Courtland Long’s wedding:

–Mike Trugman, health coach 

-Mike Papapavlou

–Michael Deutsch, Founder of Hands on Hoops Skills 

What I love about these friends in particular, as we are both dear friends and education partners.

4) Business

They say if you love what you do, you do not work a day in your life; it’s true! While rarely a goes by that I do not do any work for Premier Chess- business development, teaching, thinking about upcoming events, blogging, etc., I rarely view it as busy work. As demonstrated in my recent interview with Jim Eade, there is nothing I love more than teaching business and life lessons to students of all ages and skill levels through the game.

5) Travel 

When I was on a flight home from Mumbai in January 2015, I decided to make a commitment to travel to at least one new country every year. Since then, I’ve done that every year until 2020:

2016- Iceland

2017- England, Belgium and The Netherlands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018: Tanzania (for 1st Annual Make a Difference Teaching Chess in Africa trip)

2019: Jordan, Italy, Switzerland 

Unfortunately I don’t know if I will be able to go to a new country this year due to COVID-19 but, god willing, I will go to at least two new countries in 2021.

I love travelling to experience new places, meet people and try unique foods. I have been to 25 countries and played tournaments in 11. Learn about my travel tips in this US Chess article.

Family. Judaism. Friends. Business. Travel: Those are my five whys. What motivates you?