4. You Will Fail (But You Will Succeed Later Because Of It)
Video games are designed to make you fail. The intent is to take your lion-sized courage and confidence and morph it into a baby duck. Its industry standard for developers to program boss fights to take somewhere around three tries to win. That means that their goal is, literally, to make sure you don't accomplish your desired goal on the first try. Or, if you're playing Dark Souls, your 30th attempt. However, these same developers also know that you are going to try again, and again, and again, until you are able to defeat whatever obstacle stands in your way. It might seem obvious, but, by failing, you gain the needed skills and knowledge to react appropriately to whatever the situation holds. Is it frustrating? Of course it is. Is it dejecting? Absolutely. Are you going to get pissed and try again? Almost always, you do. In the real world, giving up is much easier than in video games. You might not always be given that same opportunity that you blew on your first attempt. Dejection and rejection take a much heavier toll on your psyche because the long-term benefits are a lot more serious than picking up an extra health slot, or finally acquiring the key you needed for that unopenable door. It's your life; your goals, and there isn't a reset button or save game. That being said, like in video games, you learn as you travel, and you learn as you fail. Your brain is designed to learn from its failures. Pain and stress are immediate physical responses that teach you not to do the same thing over and over. As long as you learn and keep trying, you have a good shot at eventually getting to the next level.