A, B, Up, Down, Select, Start!
I loved using cheat codes when playing some of my favorite video games as a kid. Too bad they don’t work on our goals and passions. How easy it would be to acquire the skills we need to see our creativity thrive!
What were some of the first games you ever played? Did you spend all your free time playing any of them even if all you had was 5 minutes?
Do you recall how long it took you to learn the controls?
Did you know where to go?
And what to kill?
Then, you really hit your groove! You knew how to play this game, what items to use and how to kill the boss! I mean how many days/weeks did you spend, and lives did you lose over and over again before you finally reached your long-awaited goal… LEVEL 2?
Only 25 cents a play!
In an arcade, you have many options to play. Where do you start?
Don’t worry about combos, forget the leaderboard, and just try something. Give it enough time to learn the basics so you can actually get a feel for the game.
I find the best way to start is to just go for it. Give a little consideration to what is available to you, but do not hesitate to try out anything that catches your eye.
Back in college my teachers often told me, “Jeremy! Stop planning everything out and just make something!”
I was worried about what I would accomplish and if it was right. My teachers just wanted me to start somewhere. Progress was what was important and you actually need to produce anything, before you can take any merit from that.
Here is the lesson: Just… start. If you fail, learn from that mistake and keep going. Your goal right now is level two. Get there, then let’s worry about beating the game.
Bonus level! – At the grind!
Old games were hard. There were no tutorials and any mistakes got you killed, cursing you to start over from the very beginning. But, you knew you were getting better because any progress would feel like its own reward.
Similarly, whatever skill you want to develop or dream you want to chase, don’t think that the only value of your craft is the end result. Don’t think that you need to beat the game before you can take any value.
What is your ambition? What are you doing to make it happen?
We all have dreams and aspirations, and we all have suffered from time getting away from us, so much so, that we never see those dreams reach fruition. You have to realize the only way to get good at anything is to practice, grind out the work and do it constantly. This is the only way to make progress.
It’s no secret; “practice” is the most frequently given answer from professionals when asked how you can get better.
It was that grind as a kid that got me to level two and that same grind is what will let me see my efforts come to fruition. This article is the start of my efforts, and this online store is my effort to make something. Hopefully, with some practice and help from you, I can make it to the second level.
Whatever interest you want to try, a hobby you want to get good at, or a career you want to start, my advice is to get going and keep going. It’s pretty simple. No theories, no motivations, no secrets, just pick up the game and press start.
Do you want to continue?