Posted in Personal Essay

The Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned from Playing Tetris

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The Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned from Playing Tetris


From Digital Blocks to Life Blocks: My Tetris Epiphany

Remember those late nights (or let’s be honest, entire weekends) spent hunched over a Game Boy, furiously rotating Tetrominoes as the pressure mounted? Yeah, me too. While my younger self saw Tetris as the ultimate digital escape, my adult self can’t help but notice the uncanny parallels between those colorful falling blocks and the, shall we say, “challenges” of adulting.

Tetris dilemma: Do I clear the easy lines now for a quick dopamine hit, or strategically hold out for that elusive “I” block to clear four lines in one glorious Tetris triumph? Turns out, life throws similar choices our way. We can tackle those small, nagging tasks immediately (like replying to that email or finally changing the lightbulb), or convince ourselves we’re “strategically waiting” for the perfect moment to tackle the big, hairy goals (like writing that novel or finally cleaning out the garage).

But here’s the kicker Tetris taught me: waiting for the perfect moment often means letting the smaller tasks pile up, creating a chaotic mess that makes tackling the big stuff even more daunting. Just like in Tetris, sometimes the best approach is to deal with what’s in front of you, clear the way, and create space for those game-changing opportunities.

Lesson 2: Embrace the Unexpected: Life’s Zs and Ss

We all have our favorite Tetrominoes. The trusty “O” block, the satisfyingly straight “I” block… and then there are the “Z” and “S” blocks, those awkwardly shaped pieces that never seem to fit quite right. How often do we approach life with this same mindset, wishing for things to be straightforward and easy, only to be thrown a curveball (or should I say, a “Z” block) when we least expect it?

Tetris taught me that sometimes you have to embrace the awkward, the unexpected, the downright frustrating. It’s about adapting your strategy, finding creative solutions, and realizing that those “Z” and “S” blocks, while seemingly inconvenient, can actually be the key to unlocking new levels of success (or at least clearing a few extra lines).

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