I’m in it for the game, but not the game you’re thinking of.
I usually tell people it’s about the challenge, the grind of solving problems, hustle and bustle with my laptop all the time and that’s true to some extent. But let’s be real, the paycheck matters too. I’m just good at making it seem secondary hehe. The real pull is the game itself. Not video games (we’ll get to that), but the grind of solving problems that don’t have obvious answers.
“Every day there’s a new mountain to climb”. That’s what I tell myself despite the daily problems being why this logic/system doesn’t work. Clients’ requirement starts being nonsense and difficult to understand or not possible. A workflow that breaks in ways it shouldn’t. And for some reason, I’m hooked on that.
You know how men go crazy when they’re unoccupied? That urge to do something? This is where I resonate. I’m not married to my work in some toxic hustle-culture way. I just vibe well with having problems to solve.
It’s the same reason I used to clip my Counter Strike gameplay (back in 2019). I’d save every clutch, MVPs, proof that I did the thing. Looking back now, I absolutely sucked. And I quit competitive gaming or any sorts of game and settle down with only Minecraft (kinda peaceful) because the rage wasn’t worth it. But at the time? Those clips felt like evidence that I was getting better (but it did NOT lol).
Now I do the same thing with work. I showcased, do write ups about my system on LinkedIn when something finally works. I used to post electronics/robotics projects on Instagram instead of gaming highlights. It’s still clipping wins, just different wins this time.
The shift isn’t just what I’m clipping. It’s what feels worth claiming. Gaming clips felt hollow eventually. They were just… gameplay. But showcasing the system I built, the integration I figured out, the electronics project I soldered and assembled together? That feels like me. Not just something I did, but proof of who I’m becoming.
Maybe the love of the game isn’t about the game itself. It’s about having a game worth playing.