Do you remember playing Snakes and Ladders as a child? Or, do you play it now with your own children? It’s a simple enough game: roll the dice, climb the board’s 100 steps, hoping to land on ladders that shortcut your path to the finish, while avoiding snakes that send you sliding backward.

This simple game is a lot like the journey of mental fitness.

Like any path of growth, there are ups and downs, wins and setbacks. You climb through effort, discipline, and good choices, only to suddenly slide back after one excuse, one lapse in judgement, or one mental loophole.

What causes those unexpected drops?

Often, it’s the mental shortcuts we take, the “rules” we invent to justify delay, sabotage, or inaction. In psychology, these are known as heuristics.

What Are Heuristics?

Heuristics are mental shortcuts, rules of thumb that help us make quick decisions without burning too much brainpower. They’re helpful when we need to move fast, like choosing the fastest route home or picking a familiar brand at the shops.

But they can also backfire. When we rely on faulty or self-serving heuristics, they become mental loopholes, or as I like to call them, mental escape hatches. They become the little justifications that quietly slide us down the snakes of our mental game board.

Let’s explore some common mental snakes that derail our progress, and the empowering mental ladders that can help us rise again.

The Mental Snakes: Loopholes That Hold Us Back

These are the excuses that sound reasonable in the moment but compound over time to steal progress and energy.

1. “I’ll Start Monday”

A classic delay tactic. Monday becomes a mirage, always on the horizon, never arriving.

Mental trap: Perfectionism disguised as planning.

2. “Just This Once”

One skipped workout, one missed call, one impulse decision. The issue isn’t the slip-up, it’s the false promise that it won’t happen again.

Mental trap: Underestimating the power of small habits.

3. “I Deserve This”

After a stressful day, this becomes the green light for short-term comfort like junk food, too much booze, mindless scrolling, skipped commitments.

Mental trap: The short term “snack” of emotional justification over long-term reward.

4. “Work Hard, Play Hard” (this is one I personally had to deal with).

A seemingly balanced mantra, often used to justify burnout and binging.

Mental trap: Replacing healthy recovery with unchecked indulgence.

5. “That’s Not My Fault”

Blaming people or circumstances. It might feel valid, but it keeps you stuck.

Mental trap: Victim mindset over personal ownership.

The Mental Ladders: Heuristics That Lift Us Up

Mentally fit people rewire their inner dialogue. They build empowering heuristics, mental shortcuts that support growth, not sabotage it.

1. “Action First, Feeling Follows”

High performers don’t wait to feel like it. They act first, and let motivation catch up.

Ladder cue: “I don’t feel like it, but I do it anyway.”

2. “If It’s On the Calendar, It’s Non-Negotiable”

They treat personal priorities with the same respect as professional ones.

Ladder cue: “Discipline means keeping the promises I make to myself.”

3. “Never Miss Twice”

Slipping once is human. Twice becomes a habit.

Ladder cue: “Break the chain, not the system.”

4. “Progress Beats Perfection”

They value consistency over ideal conditions.

Ladder cue: “Done is better than perfect.”

5. “Own the Outcome”

They don’t waste time blaming others, they take full responsibility.

Ladder cue: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

The Mental Fitness Mindset

Here’s the powerful truth: you don’t have to play the same mental game on autopilot. Mental fitness gives you the awareness to spot your snakes and the tools to choose the ladders instead.

Like all growth, this isn’t about perfection. It’s about pattern recognition and practice. Every time you catch yourself mid-slide and choose a new path, you build strength and willpower. Over time, that strength becomes your new default.

Final Reflection: Your Mental Fitness Move

This week, tune into your inner dialogue.

• What excuses do you find yourself repeating?
• Which empowering mental ladders could you install instead?
• What mental snakes can you catch before they trip you up?

Because when you play the game of mental fitness with awareness, the dice are in your hands.

Trade your trapdoors for ladders. And keep climbing.

Click here to learn more about Shane Kempton.

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10 Habits of Mentally Fit People: Do you have these? 

Mental Fitness for Self-Learning and Coaching in Real Estate 

Mental Fitness: More Than Just Positive Thinking 

Introducing ‘Mental Fitness by Shane Kempton’