Life Lessons from Board Games
Who doesn’t love playing board games?! Even though there are multiple ways to play the said games online (think about “Bingo” or “lotto” on https://www.lotto-bonus-code.com/) one can agree that nothing compares to playing board games in real life – with our friends.
The marvel of board games made us spend quality time with ourselves. You can play your favorite game, hone your skills, and enjoy the complexity or simplicity of it as much as you like, now more than ever. However, playing games, besides being good for your mood, is not a way to kill time – you can learn all kinds of things if you know where to look. Here are some of the lessons you can apply to your everyday life that board games bestowed upon us.
Sometimes, Luck Is a Factor
It doesn’t matter what the game is. It could be a game of chance or a game of strategy. The point is that luck can sometimes help you or your opponent immensely. Think about it: how many games require the use of dice? Oh, you can turn the tide to your favor, but if you are unlucky enough, the following move may be your last.
On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of seeing a friend play Dungeons and Dragons and, to save time due to the number of attacks, he threw two d20s. The result? Snake eyes. One-in-a-400 chance. The lesson is: don’t be discouraged if you fail, sometimes it wasn’t you. Additionally, always have a contingency plan for the situations when you believe you can’t fail.
Competition Is Good, Sportsmanship Is Better
There are some pretty competitive people out there. That’s fine – competing is a driving force and many use it to fulfill their ambitions. You’ve heard athletes say: “They just wanted it more”. Wanting to win and to be the best is normal and expected.
That being said, you need to be a graceful winner and a dignified loser. Don’t rub it in if you win by a large margin and don’t blame others or turn sour if you lose. There were skills, there was luck, and errors that have led to this outcome. Always treat your opponent with respect and dignity, regardless of whether you are playing a game or developing a business strategy.
Manage Your Resources
We mainly mean money, but any type of resource will do for this lesson. Investing is a risky business, so you should never invest the money you are not prepared to lose. Don’t hoard your wealth either – money that you don’t use will quickly slip from your fingers. If you’ve played Monopoly, you know that it requires not only strategy but money management as well. Buying property you don’t need just because you can leaves you stranded for cash when you need it the most. Also, foregoing opportunities may hurt your chances of success in the long run. You need to think long and hard before making any decision.
You Need to Focus
Stratego, Operation, chess and its variants- all of these require deep concentration. Why? Overlooking a minute, but important detail may cost you the game, or lead you to a bad choice. It’s the same in life: solving a math equation is dependent on you noticing all the factors and variables. Not noticing your new business partner is shady leads to financial ruin.