What Does Candy Crush And Running A Business Have In Common

Believe it or not...there are things I’ve learned from Candy Crush that help me in business!

Ok…I imagine you are saying SERIOUSLY?? CANDY CRUSH?? The annoying- never ending- mindless game?? Yup- that game.

At first it was simply a guilty mind-less pleasure I did when I was stressed. It took my mind off of things and gave me a few minutes to regroup and refocus…but then something happened. I realized I was learning things from it! Things I can use as I am learning and growing a new business.

1) Keep your eye on the prize. It’s easy to tell yourself I want to be successful or I want to make money…but those are general things and not specific enough. You need to set your eye on the goal at hand when you start…and then figure out how you are going to get to that place. The Candy Crush part: each game has a task of sorts- some you need to break jellies- others you need to get a certain score- other games require you to get a cherry or something to a specific hole…if you do not know the end goal and just start randomly playing each game…you will not achieve the goal.

2) Learn from your mistakes. Every set back should be teaching us…this didn’t work…let me try this. Sometimes there are patterns we need to learn- or specific skills we must master to be able to accomplish our goals. If we see the times we do not succeed as “failures”– we will get frustrated and negative. If we see these things as “lessons”- we will realize each one is teaching us something and getting us one step closer to being able to accomplish what we are trying to do. Candy Crush part: each game has a strategy to be able to win. Sometimes you can “see” it right away- other times you don’t and you have to play that same game over and over until you a) see the strategy and b) figure out how to implement it to reach the required outcome.

3) Think a few moves ahead. I think it’s important to be able to see how things will affect your business…if I do X, then Y will happen…or I need to do THIS to grow my following. If you can see many moves ahead…you will be able to set up the plan for success. The Candy Crush part: You must be able to learn to CAUSE things to happen to get the required outcome. If you need to make a certain kind of candy for example- you need to be able to make the moves necessary to do that- so you must be able to SEE how each move will affect your outcome. Otherwise you will just be randomly making moves- no specific goal in sight- basically spinning your wheels and hoping to get lucky.

4) Lastly…a little fun never hurt anyone. If you are not enjoying what you are doing…you might want to consider another path. If you must do what you are doing now (and it’s something you do not enjoy or that does not fulfill you) that’s ok…life is a journey…we might not be winning at life in the way we want RIGHT NOW…but that should not stop us from dreaming and scheming…and finding ways to work towards doing what it is that makes our souls and hearts happy! The Candy Crush part: The game seems to be endless- I’m not sure if there is an end to it- at least not at the skill level I play at…but it’s fun and relaxing to me. Not everyone enjoys it- but I’m sure we all have something we enjoy…our own guilty little pleasure.