Playtime for Business Owners: 3 Reasons You Need Games
OK, not THAT kind of playtime. (Though that kind of play is good for you too!) Games are helpful for entrepreneurs. And as the movie The Shining taught us, all work and no play make Jack a murderous madman. In honor of National Scrabble Day on April 13, let’s talk games!
Knowledge workers need their brains… and entrepreneurs are knowledge workers
Own a business? No matter what kind - whether it’s a beauty salon, skincare line, bookstore, productivity consulting firm (ahem), product manufacturer - you need to use your brain.
And the parts you’re using are the bits that seem to be unique to humans. Other animals use tools, communicate with each other using sounds, grieve, and dream. But none of them come up with marketing plans, strategize how to bring their product to market, or use financial projections to attract financing for their new business.
Unfortunately, this particular system in the brain (prefrontal cortex and related structures) is a giant energy hog. It’s relatively slow, and it’s limited in how much we can use it during the day.
There are ways that you can get the most out of your brain, and absolutely none of them are grinding your way through the day for hours at a stretch. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Hustling, grinding, and working 12-14 hour days are a guarantee that you’re going to be LESS productive. And you’ll probably be less happy too.
If you want to be productive - by that I mean not just busy, but effective in your work - then the easiest way to do that is to perform in the way that the human brain wants to work. And it does not want to use the energy hogging bits for extended periods of time.
Games help with creativity, which is important if you own a business (1)
Do you associate creativity with artists? Think you’re not creative? That’s not what we’re talking about here, although many entrepreneurs are also artists in some way.
I’m talking creativity in a much larger sense. The ability to come up with different solutions by marrying ideas from one sphere with those from a different one. Applying logic brings you stepwise solutions. Creativity allows you to make leaps instead.
Business owners see a problem and solve it in some way. At this point, we’ve had centuries of logical solutions, so logical answers are already pretty thick on the ground. What we need now are creative ones. I hate to use the cliche of out-of-the-box, but that’s what we business owners need when we’re coming up with answers.
Creative solutions don’t arrive through grinding away at a problem. Your brain needs time away from strategic thinking to rest and to make connections between ideas that come from different topic silos.
Games like Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, Cards Against Humanity, and other board games are great for this. You’re fishing around in your brain using different systems, and they may help fire up some connections that you haven’t previously made.
Games give your business owner’s brain a break (2)
Humans have a limited amount of time in the day where our brains are ready and willing to use those strategic and logical thinking bits. Taking time out to play games gives your brain a break from that, which allows your brain to recharge. Plus they’re fun, so it doesn’t feel like work.
Contrary to popular belief, fun is actually good for adults too! It’s not just for kids and puppies and kittens. The human brain would actually prefer that we enjoy our lives, and fun things like games help us do it.
I have to admit that it’s been a while since I played Scrabble. Although I know there are versions online that people play, it’s not the same as actually pulling out the board and tiles. There is something about the tactile experience of a physical game set that you don’t get playing video or online games.
Games give entrepreneurs the chance to interact in a social way (3)
Offline games such as those with boards and game pieces are great, because humans need social interaction (sorry, social media platform backers). If you’ve got kids, games are an excellent way to interact with them in a way that’s actually fun for both of you.
What about video or online games? They’re not necessarily as good for the brain as other types of games. If you’re playing video games with your kids, as long as you’re in the same room at the same time they’re fine. And they do help develop fine motor skills.
However, “interacting” via online games really doesn’t give you the social benefits that the human brain needs. It’s not social, just as commenting on a friend’s social media post doesn’t give you the benefits you get from actually talking to them in real time.
While video and MMPGs can give your brain a break from work, you may not get the same creativity benefits as with many offline games. And you definitely don’t get the same social benefits unless you’re actually playing with your friends or family in the same room together at the same time.
Recap
It’s important for adults to play, especially if they want to be productive. That may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the way the human brain prefers to work. Games like Scrabble and other real-time ones help people become more creative and be with people who are important to them.