The Flawed Thinking in “I Don’t Like the Game Because it’s Hard”

While working out, I was watching a YouTube video in which the host talked about games everyone apparently loves, but he hates.

His main argument for hating one very mainstream Action RPG game was the fact that he had trouble solving the quests and found many of the solutions a little too obscure.

It’s such a good metaphor for how we approach the game of creativity or business.

Our blood, sweat, and tears go into our art and our products, only for them to be torn apart by the world upon their official release.

I recently shared a sample from my latest book with a friend, and he didn’t like the writing style. But I learned something from that – 1) that if I’m going to share my creations with people who don’t really know my work, I should only show them the highlights, and 2) some people simply don’t understand speed of delivery, the value in having your audience experience something even as you’re developing it. They value perfectionism over shipping, and they may never ship themselves. It’s easier to hide behind perfectionism than it is to endure criticism and rejection.

And it’s not a matter of right or wrong. It’s a difference in thinking.

But it’s a fact of life the game of creativity or business won’t always be easy. You may know that you have something valuable to share with the world. You may even have awards and credentials and testimonials to back it up. But there will always be those who disagree.

Some challenges are difficult to solve. On your path to success, you can run into financial and personal issues of every persuasion.

Assuming you learn something from the impasses you encounter in-game, you can hatch a scheme to overcome them. You can level up your experience.

But if you give up on the game because it’s too hard, you’ve got a mindset challenge. You don’t need to work on your art or make a better product. Leveling up your mindset should be your priority.

I understand that the game can be frustrating when it’s hard. But it can also get very boring when it’s too easy. We need challenges to rise to.

Don’t quit the game because it’s too hard. Quit the game when you know you never stand a chance at becoming the best at it, as Seth Godin shares in The Dip.

You will leave opportunity on the table if you give up just because the game is hard.