Finding the Right Power-Ups
When struggling with a particularly difficult challenge, we may sometimes feel as if an obstacle in our way is insurmountable. When we try and fail to overcome it, we may get discouraged and give up after only a few attempts. We may even conclude that it is impossible to succeed.
Failure can be painful, especially when we try and fail multiple times. Many of us react poorly to repeated failures. It may feel as if each time we fail, we end up no closer to succeeding than we were when we first started. However, failing is part of the process of succeeding. Whenever we reflect on failure and use the information that we learned from it to come up with a new approach to try, we are moving forward, even if it doesn’t feel like we are.
In situations like these, it may be helpful to use video games as an analogy. In a game, it may sometimes seem as if a steep wall is impossible to climb, or a wide gap is impossible to jump over. However, we know that the designers would not create an impossible challenge. We may just need to change the way we are looking at the problem.
Maybe we already have the skills or tools we need to overcome the obstacle. Or maybe we need to focus on learning the right skills or finding the right tools. In games, these skills and tools are often referred to as “power-ups”. The power-up we need may be linked to an event in the game’s main story or hidden somewhere in an optional side quest, but we can only gain access to that power-up by continuing our journey through the game world. Turning off the game because it seems impossible to beat will never bring us closer to our goal.
In games, power-ups might grant invincibility for a set duration of time or a double-jump that allows you to go places that were inaccessible before. They can be temporary boosts, special items that you can equip, or new mechanics that you will use for the rest of the game.
You might think that power-ups like that don’t exist in real life. But that’s not necessarily true. With a little creativity, you can turn an everyday object into a real-world power-up. What exactly that power-up is depends on what your goal is and what obstacles are standing in your way. For a student struggling with math, it might be something as simple as a calculator. If you’re having trouble budgeting, it might be a coupon that helps you save money on important purchases.
Real-world power-ups are not necessarily limited to tangible objects, either. They might include new skills that you can practice to improve at formerly difficult tasks, such as stronger written communication or a foundational knowledge of specialized software. Power-ups can also be derived from connections with people who can help you devise more effective strategies, like a counselor, gym coach, nutritionist, teacher, or supportive friend.
It is important to remember that even if you are struggling to overcome an obstacle right now, that does not mean that you will never be able to overcome it. In video games, enemies that seemed near-impossible to beat near the beginning often become easy to defeat with the power-ups we gain as we continue to play. We just need to keep moving forward.
We can apply the same principle to real-world challenges. If you are facing a difficult obstacle, don’t give up. Instead, try to find a power-up that will help you overcome it.