The Power of 80s Video Games
unprogram yourself
As a child of the 80s, I love a simple video game. We always had computers given my dad was a tech exec, and the Commodore 64 was cutting edge way before that phrase ran its course and lost meaning.
During the Summer of 1984, my brother & I spent a lot of time watching the Olympics, re-enacting them in the pool, and playing the floppy disk equivalent, “Summer Games.”
I loved making my little faceless character do a triple tuck in the diving competition and gained particular satisfaction when it won Gold…especially when I beat my brother and my 64-bit self topped the leaderboard. (It should come as no surprise that I was pretty competitive on my real-life swim team, too)
One thing I didn’t love about computer games was the lack of ability to quickly start over.
No fancy restart buttons here. Plus, simply pulling a floppy disk out of the drive could corrupt the integrity and you’d still have to reload the game. (If you want to relive this process because you’re a psycho, go here)
The Magnavox Odyssey of the 70s had a restart button, but they weren’t ubiquitous until the launch of second-gen consoles like Intellivision and Atari. (Nintendo was third-gen, FYI)
When we finally got an Intellivision and my neighbor-bestie got the Atari, it was finally possible to ditch the DOS commands and easily restart games when we wanted to add a player or when one of us had a hissy fit when losing. (If you’ve ever “accidentally” bumped the reset button when you were losing, we’re probably soulmates)
Maybe all that competition in my youth set me up to be less competitive with others now, and maybe not, but it definitely paved the way for how I feel about “do-overs.”
I’m a firm believer in restarting.
No, we don’t get a second chance at life and we can’t go back, but the single most important thing we can do for ourselves is to stop when things aren’t aligned, take a pause, and consciously hit the reset button.
This applies to marketing…and to our lives.
If it feels crappy and not garnering great results, why are we doing it?
Resetting doesn’t erase things. Our lives won’t suddenly become a blank slate. We won’t be as unharmed or inexperienced as we once were. We won’t have limitless pathways ahead like we once believed.
But we will have an opportunity to return to who we really are and make some conscious decisions about who we want to be right now, and how we want to tell the world about it.
What stories are keeping you stagnant? Where do you need to align?
It’s ok to hit reset and pause so you can play the game as authentically and meaningfully as you wish.
xox,
Michelle
P.S. I have a podcast out this week on this very topic with my friend & client who just launched her new art site, Amy Markham. Listen on Spotify or Apple or wherever!
P.P.S. Want to work with me to align in your brand? If you’re ready to ditch BS marketing, tell more authentic (and converting) stories, or need comprehensive brand and marketing content identity and strategy, let’s chat to see if it’s time to create some brand magic.
PS3 (see what I did there?) Retreat with me! Recapture your youth — or the youth you most wanted — at this intentionally playful day retreat that highlights the leisure of June days and the spontaneity of summer nights. Expect childlike wonder, festive activities, and intentional reflections culminating in a group bonfire where we let our inner wild child shine. Use code TIMETOPLAY get $95! Let the Wild Rumpus Start!
(My day retreats are non-traditional, “witchy,” & aligned with women and gender-expansive humans. If this isn’t your vibe, join me at events like CreativeMornings/Richmond or invite me to present to your group on how to Ditch BS Marketing & Tell Authentic Stories that Convert)
Rest. Recalibrate. Restore. Renew.
