Life is like a video game

Kamikun Adebajo
Oct 17, 2021
7 min read

Updated: Mar 2, 2023

Hi everyone and welcome to the new week!

I believe Sunday is the first day of the week but let's not get into that.

How are you doing? I hope you have taken time out to relax this weekend. If not, please do. Your future self will thank you for it.

I hope you had a productive week. But even if you didn't, like my aunt always says, "there's always tomorrow" or in this case, this week. Just don't use the same strategies as last week, okay? Ok😅

Today we're talking about Video Games!🎉

So, grab a controller.

Image credit: The Independent & Animation World Network

Little known fact, I love video games! Who doesn't though?

Anyhoos, welcome to 10 life lessons according to Video games!

First lesson: Difficult things may not always be difficult. Have you read the manual?

Every time I download a new game, I always first stumble around the features and press everything😅. Some buttons lead to exciting features like upgrades and new cars, others will take you to privacy, terms and conditions🙄 Do you do this too?

I think it's important because to enjoy the game or level up, you need to know how to upgrade yourself, your car or whatever represents you. It's not compulsory but if you don't, you'll soon be stuck on a particular level. And after restarting 30 times you start to wonder whether the designer is playing tricks with you. This happened to me last week. I was trying to pass this level which needed a new car stunt but because I didn't know it, I just stayed there. After much frustration, I looked around and funny enough, the instructions for executing the stunt were right there. The cheeky programmers. (If I catch them ehn🙄)

Point: Some things seem difficult because we don't have the powerup that was created for that task. Not everything hint, stunt, resource or powerup is locked away in some vault. Sometimes, you just have to look around, phone a friend or ask Google. Are you stuck? What are the barriers you're facing? What are the powerups available? How can you get them? Financially constrained? What are the best powerups for that? Jobs? self-employment? investment? returns? How do you get them? Networking? Improving your skillset? Keep an eye out for investment opportunities? Follow or phoning a company to ask about employment? What's the worst that could happen? Getting LinkedIn? (it's good for that) In games, these things are easier but it's still the same logic in life. Most times we're only using our basic functions: talk, eat, drink, memorise, sleep, walk, but when we begin to understand the difference between talking and conversation or memorising and actual education, our lives are upgraded just like those cars.

Second lesson: Don't skip the tutorial!

Have you or someone you know bought a complicated appliance they tried to set up for themselves?

Remember how that went. Yeah! When you skip the tutorial on games either intentionally or by mistake, it takes much longer to get the hang of it. Just like you follow PS4 or Cooking Fever tutorials so you don't lose every game or burn every dish, you need to read the manual of life.

The programmer usually writes the manual and/or tutorial. If not, they will supervise its writing because they are the only ones that know how each stage should work or look like; what to do, what not to do, shortcuts etc. They are also accessible if you have a problem with the game. God is the programmer of life, you should read his instruction manual, it's pretty dope, and unlike the ones we're used to, this one is actually interesting.

Third lesson: Practice makes perfect. Cut yourself some slack.

Games are easy to play because the tutorials show you what you need like powerups, mission boards, etc and this is good because some dashboards are like all those marvel spaceships bai. However, after a few races, plays or levels, you get the hang of it and become an expert, maybe even up on the leaderboard. Someone who recently downloaded the game may think it impossible to get on it meanwhile you were just as confused as they are now a few weeks ago but once they start practising, they start climbing too.

However, in life, most of us are quick to start comparing ourselves when we've hardly had any experience. No one downloads a game and goes to the leaderboard first, you usually have the intent of relaxation. My brother and sister, please employ the same perspective towards life sometimes. Competition is not everything. As they say, everyone has a different exam question. Answer your own. You don't download games trying to beat player XGTFPRV Platypus. So why are going through life stressing yourself through comparison?

(On the other hand, competition can be good. More on this later)

Fourth lesson: Games have goals. How much more life? We enjoy games because we complete quests or reach goals and are rewarded. The higher you go, the more challenging it becomes, but the more powerful your powerups and the greater the rewards too. We are satisfied because we feel accomplished not necessarily because we are beating Player XGTFPRV Platypus. Focus on the goals and rewards and life becomes better. Maybe not easier but definitely less stressful.

Goals also give life meaning. Imagine a game where there were no real concrete goals or rewards, the only goal is to beat other players. No one would download it! Yet, we play that game every day. Let your life goals be concrete and fixed. Don't pin them on other people's performance or what is trending on social media because, by the time you achieve them, the reward of adoration would have expired.

Fifth lesson: Some things cost gems. Have you ever played a game where you wanted a powerup that required, a lot of gems or actual money? Most times, we try to pass that level without the powerup but it's harder. Same thing with life. Some things cost you more than others. Friendship requires time and effort. School requires a bunch of that too. We have limited energy reserves every day and we get to choose what we spend our gems on. Choose wisely!

Sixth lesson: Don't hoard gems! Make mistakes early, learn from them and move on. Ironic? But it's true. When I download a game with keys or gems, I usually become an lya ljebu (very conservative) because I don't want to end up bankrupt in an emergency. The funny thing is no emergency is ever emergency enough. I usually just accumulate gems for display. Be spontaneous. Spend some gems. See where it takes you. Get out of your comfort zone once in a while. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on.

I learnt this the hard way through WhatsApp. When I see someone post chats cleared, I usually take a moment of silence. As a sentimental person, when I lost my chats, I thought it was the end of the world. The world is still here. But now I'm actually grateful for that experience because it taught me the habit of backing up my information. What is your backup for when life happens? Do you know any skills? Can you learn one? Do you have assets? Are you saving? Point: Be responsible but spontaneous once in a while. Learn from your mistakes (the earlier the better) Move on.

Image credit: TechAdvisor

Seventh lesson: Where art thou network?

As entertainment technology advances, many games allow you to visit or interact with other players. This makes them more interesting because you can either compete with friends or purchase stuff from their islands. There's this game I have where I have to spend diamonds on items, but if I don't have enough I can always borrow from a friend who plays the game. Having friends who share the same goals as you makes life more interesting. You can compete healthily and encourage one another with your experiences. In the end, everyone's island looks uniquely different but awesome.

What do I mean by competing healthily? This is the type of competition that brings out the best in everyone. The goal here is to improve oneself. Unlike the regular jealous competition, you are your reference point. The other person is just the inspiration. You are inspired by person A so you practice more and become better than you were last month. It doesn't really matter to you whether surpassed person A or not. Your joy comes from you improving not surpassing person A. So, yes. Have friends that make you get off your behind and do some work, but don't attach your satisfaction to surpassing them. And buy stuff from their islands! Everyone loves that person who always buys stuff from other people's islands.

In English, support your friends tangibly. And it doesn't always have to be financial, give them a shoutout now and then, recommend them to other friends, tell them what you think of their work.

Eighth lesson: Watch out for the bad guys.

Are you an action video game lover? Mortal Kombat? (I don't really know what people play these days. Call of duty?) Even in video game land, everything isn't rosy. Some levels require battle or have enemies. Are you ready for that?

Image credit: Steam

Ninth lesson: Some things take time.

Ever got one of those games where you have to wait for a particular amount of time?

Are the person who is always out of gems before level 10?

Some things in life cannot be rushed. Even if you use life's gems, guess what? You'll run out of them soon. Practice patience early and reap the rewards later.

Tenth lesson: Daily rewards, what is your reward for attempting life daily?

Just like our YouVersion streak, some of us only log on to games so we can collect our daily rewards #cookingfever. But sometimes, we eventually play because why not? Shebi we're already there. Do you have things that can motivate you to attempt life? Motivation isn't everything but it can be just what you need sometimes. I always wonder how those people who make to-do lists without adding rewards at the end accomplish their goals. Some tasks are easy but some need motivation. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive but it should be enticing and you should not have access to it before your tasks are completed. Remember to take it easy though. Don't put a million things on your list every day. You'll never enjoy those rewards and you'll get discouraged easily.