7 Life Lessons I Learned from Playing Candy Crush
Life is like a game. You get better with every level
I love puzzle games and my absolute favorite is Candy Crush.
Funny enough, I used to hate it because I didn’t understand it at all. Like most Match 3 puzzle games, I thought Candy Crush was just about matching candies of the same kind.
I was so wrong.
Each level has a goal, and until you achieve that goal, you’ll be stuck there. Forever. I’m not even exaggerating.
I was frustrated for a long time, so I deleted the game. Several months later, I downloaded it again to give it another try.
Obviously, it had nothing to do with my mum kicking my ass like a goddamn pro. It was all me.
Once I learned to play, I couldn’t stop. It was Divine. And now, over three thousand levels later, I’ve learned some important life lessons from this sweet, tasty, and delicious game. Sorry, I just had to do it.
Let’s dive right into the seven lessons I learned from Coach Candy Crush:
Life lesson #1: Always keep your eye on the goal
When I first started playing Candy Crush, calling me a terrible player would be a gross understatement. I’d play the same level over and over, only to fail again and again.
I just never understood why. Not until I noticed for the first time that there was a ‘goal bar thingy’ (I’m not sure what it’s called… yes, I’m still an expert) at the top right corner of the game. That moment was a game-changer for me. All I had to do was simply achieve those goals to pass the level. That was it.
Before that, I played blindly. I focused more on the obstacles like the chocolates and black tiles while completely ignoring the goals. Suffice to say, it was an endless cycle of failure and frustration. However, once I trained my mind to focus on the goals rather than the obstacles, a whole new world opened for me.
Acting without a plan is a recipe for disaster. Coach Candy Crush taught me so. The game became more pleasurable when I met the target set for me.
This is very important in our everyday lives too. Set goals for yourself and outline a plan to achieve them. Yes, obstacles will arise, just like those chocolates and black tiles. But you never take your eyes off the goal. Never. Don’t get distracted.
Be focused.
Life lesson #2: Never give up
If you’ve ever played Candy Crush, you must be familiar with that feeling of being stuck at the same level because of how nightmarishly hard it is. There was a time I took about four months to clear a single level.
Four months!
Well, to be fair, I became frustrated and gave up on the game for several weeks, which was why it took me so long. And that’s exactly my point; you never give up.
Some levels in the game seem impossible to clear. But that’s all it is — it just seems impossible. By the time I passed the first thousand levels of the game, I had gained an epiphany; no matter how impossible a level appears to be, it is possible to clear it.
As long as you keep your eyes on the goals, never give up, and follow life lessons number three and four, any level is beatable. In the end, a nightmarishly hard level transforms into sweet dreams.
I don’t know what your life is like. But I know that if you find something in life that fulfills you, never give up on it. Sure, it can be hard to pursue your life’s purpose. But half the job is done when you set realistic goals, stick to the plan, and never give up. It’s better to do what you love and fail at it, rather than do nothing and regret it for the rest of your life.
But of course, if you keep failing no matter how many times you try, then there must be something wrong somewhere. This brings me to the next life lesson.
Life lesson #3: Use a new strategy
Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Playing the game, I often made the mistake of repeating the same mistakes. Jeez, that’s a lot of mistakes.
I would make the same moves over and over, fail, and then do the same thing all over again, expecting things to be different. Yes, my dear, I was insane like that.
Later, I decided I needed a new strategy — I had to make new moves to get different results, and eventually, positive results.
This must sound obvious. But it will surprise you how many times we ignore this.
Just because you shouldn’t give up doesn’t mean you have to repeat the same old tired strategy when it’s clearly not working. If you fail a hundred times, all those hundred failures should be unique in their own way. Try something else if the last one doesn’t work until you find the strategy that produces the best results.
When you find the strategy that works, stick to the plan and keep going. Just ask Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb. Or you may ask me, breaker of Candy Crush levels.
Life lesson #4: Rest: Get a fresh perspective
“So how do I find a new strategy?” I’m so glad you asked.
Sometimes all you need is good old sleep. Rest. That’s it.
When you’re immersed in something for a long time, it can be hard to see the bigger picture. When you’re making mistakes, or perhaps something isn’t working, you may not even realize it. Even if you do, it can be hard to identify the source of the problem because your mind is too saturated at that point.
There are times I soar through the game with incredible ease, earning golden stars and sugar crush stars simultaneously at each level like the Candy Crush Conqueror that I am. I get so thrilled by this that I just keep going. I never want to stop.
Eventually, I lose momentum. Then I make poor moves and end up getting stuck. Even when I use different strategies, nothing works.
When this happens, I stop playing. No, I don’t give up — I just stop. I take a breather, a day or seven, so I can relax my mind.
With rest comes a fresh perspective and inspiration for a new strategy. I almost always clear the level in one play after the much-needed rest.
This applies to everyday life. Do the things you love, but don’t neglect rest. Not only is it good for your body and mind, but it’s also good for your creativity. It’s easier for a well-rested mind to explore new ideas and change the world. And no, this is not my inner couch potato speaking.
Life lesson #5: Sometimes you get lucky
What? Yeah, that’s right. Sometimes you do get lucky.
Failing a level continuously in Candy Crush can be, well, crushing. It takes a lot of careful planning and trying different strategies to beat some levels. But sometimes, even without following the target, even at a nightmarishly hard level, you still end up beating the game in less than three random unplanned moves.
That’s the very definition of luck. But be careful. It’s not the norm. This is why it’s not advisable to leave your life to chance or luck. Chances are, you will not be so lucky. However, when those rare moments of luck strike, enjoy it with everything you’ve got. Don’t be like the previous version of myself.
In the past, when I unexpectedly beat a level out of sheer luck, it felt anticlimactic. That kind of victory did not feel quite like a victory. But then, after thinking things through, I saw how problematic that mindset was.
When I got lucky, I felt like a fraud. Like I didn’t deserve it because I never worked for it. Why do I accept it when bad things I can’t control happen to me, yet I have a hard time enjoying good things that are out of my control? Now that’s some bullshit.
If I have to endure all the bad luck life so graciously bestows on me, then you best believe I will enjoy every bit of luck like it’s my personal victory, because it is.
Candy Crush taught me not to feel bad when I got lucky.
Savor the moment while it lasts. Besides, if you’re consistent in pursuing your goals, you create more opportunities for yourself. This increases your chances of getting lucky.
We create our own luck through consistency. So, keep showing up, and grab that opportunity as soon as it presents itself.
Life lesson #6: Use the little you have to your advantage
Ah, boosters — the greatest thing about Candy Crush.
Boosters can make the game feel like a Beyonce concert; you just don’t want it to end. Without them, a hard level becomes even harder to play. But while boosters make the game easier, you don’t always need them.
Sometimes the little you have is all you need.
Don’t wait until you have the best of everything before you start doing something. You’ll be waiting for a very long time. Many of the world’s biggest brands had humble beginnings.
If you have a passion, go for it. Start small. Keep working at it until you achieve your goal. The best time to start anything is now. You will always have an excuse unless you actually put your foot down and start now.
Don’t worry about how terrible a writer you are. Start now. Start small. Start terribly. Then learn as you go.
Life lesson #7: Use everything you have to your advantage
Boosters are amazing, but it can be tempting to hoard them instead of using them.
Sometimes I forget I have so many boosters and end up playing a boring game without them. I know I said you don’t always need boosters, but sometimes you do. You just have to use them. It’s pointless not to.
We have boosters in real life too — our talents, skills, resources, and just about everything we need to achieve our goals. Sometimes, just like in Candy Crush, we’re afraid to use these boosters because we think they’re not good enough.
We say to ourselves that we’ll fail anyway, so what’s the point of using them? We’ll just be wasting our time.
Yeah, don’t do that. Identify your boosters — your talents — and don’t be afraid to use them. Work on them and sharpen them to the very best.
Don’t let the fear of failure shackle you. Refusing to use your talents will only let them fade until you have nothing left. In the end, all you’ll be left with is regret and resentment. Don’t let that be your life. In the end, we are more likely to regret the things we never did rather than the things we did.
Final thoughts
I’m learning to treat my life more like a game these days. I’m very stubborn when it comes to clearing a level in any game. Yet, for the longest time, I was passive in my own life.
Thankfully, that’s no longer the case.
These life lessons are helping me to be better in all aspects of my life. And when it’s game over, I’ll just try again until I succeed.
What about you?
Torshie Torto writes fiction creative nonfiction, and everything in between. If you love her work and want to support it, buy her a coffee.