Last week was about Braid and challenging assumptions.  This week is about video game systems and the reset button. 

I loved the original Nintendo, but I have to admit it could be pretty glitchy at times.  Sometimes the games would work fine.  Sometimes they would start well, and then get wonky.  Other times, they were buggy from the beginning.  See the picture to see what I mean.  Whenever a glitch like this happened, you had to ask if it was something you could deal with.  Sometimes it was a minor color issue, so you could go ahead and play.  Sometimes, it was a major issue.  When this happened, you’d have to press the reset button.  This would restart everything, and give the game a fresh start, often solving the problem. 

What does this have to do with anything?  In video games you reset to have a fresh start and another chance when things were kind of glitchy.  Think about your life right now.  Are there things that are kind of “glitchy”?  Maybe it’s a series of routines or bad habits that are getting in the way of you taking great care of yourself (#totallyme).  Maybe it’s a relationship that has some baggage and tension.  Maybe it’s a project that seems to be a little lost.  Whatever it is, have you considered pausing to hit the reset button?  Have you looked at those habits that are harming you and thought about replacements that could help you?  Have you taken a deep breath, offered yourself and others some forgiveness and started over?  Have you paused to reassess the work, regroup, and figure out a new path forward?

Too often in life we keep going forward even when things get “glitchy”, because we think we have to.  However, if you were playing a video game where things were so glitchy it wasn’t working correctly and you couldn’t perform, you wouldn’t keep playing.  You’d stop, reset the game, and try again.  Why can’t we do more resetting in life? 

The challenge: How are you embracing the reset button?

Havea jolly good day,

Andrew Embry