5 Lessons That Prove True In Games and Life, Too Whether it's mastering a game or succeeding in your life's calling, there is a short list of what works.
By Warren Cassell, Jr. Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you look close enough, you can find profound meaning in even the most unsuspected of places! One of those places is – surprise! - the hyper addictive game "Piano Tiles." But what makes it so meaningful and profound? Well, there are five life lessons that you can learn this seemingly innocuous game of habit. Let's jump right in!
1. Persist as if your life depends on it
The purpose of Piano Tiles is to improve your hand-eye coordination, sure, but the main objective of the game is to go as far as you can repeating the same task, albeit it in a different order, over and over again until you run out of steam or meet your glorious end.
Life is much the same way – we are creatures of habit, constantly pressing forward, every day, doing the same thing with relatively minor differences. Aside from the occasional curve ball, if you want to get anywhere, you must persist!
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2. Practice makes perfect
It's an old lesson but age doesn't make it less true. When it comes to Piano Tiles, let's be honest, the first few moments of a round, you will probably meet your end. But the more you play, the better you become. The quicker your mind adapts to the speed, the placement, your fingers start to catch up with you.
Before you know it, you're shaking down levels like a champ. So the correlation is clear – the more you practice something and keep that try-try again mentality, the better you become. If you keep it up for long enough, perfection is within your grasp. Apply this to life's daily foibles and challenges and you may just find yourself the champion of your job, relationship, parenting – whatever you set your mind to.
3. Celebrate your success
Piano Tiles is a tough game, there's no doubt. And much like life, if you don't celebrate your wins, what was once something rather enjoyable can become mere drudgery. As levels increase with difficulty, it's easy to think that only a super-human or super-computer could beat the task at hand. If you've ever found yourself up against the ropes in your career, for example, chances are, after a victory you felt you earned a break or a reward. It's crucial to do this. Celebrate your success with mini rewards because it motivates you to give a repeat winning performance!
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4. Maximize your potential
Sure, you can play Piano Tiles with just a solitary finger, but have you ever thought of incorporating both? Destroying those tiles two handed – admit it! – gives you a sense of power. The game may be tough, but your dexterity is tougher. And a more intelligent way to play. Life is the same way.
In this strange game of life, when you see you're on a hot streak or you find your niche, it's up to you to get resourceful and implement the right tools to maximize your effectiveness. Time management, organization, successful prioritization, these are basic tools that will help you churn out the best results possible.
5. Challenges make life fun
It's easy to get bogged down when live throws you a curve. Playing a game like Piano Tiles can be infuriating, but you find yourself addicted, turning ever back to those naughty little black and white tiles until perhaps your patience or temper gets the best of you. But before you throw your tablet or phone across the room in frustration, remember this crucial life lesson: challenges are what makes life worth living.
It sounds nice to have everything handed to us on a silver platter, but if that were really the way of things, no one would ever feel the ecstasy of earning their keep. Where there is anger or envy, replace it with generosity and enjoyment and even at the low moments of life, your experience will be more rich, ten-fold. Revel in your wins, learn from your losses and when the going gets tough, well, only the learned, only the tough, only the most successful prevail.
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