It’s my free time and it’s Plants vs. Zombies (PnV) time!
Waiting for the laundry? Play PnV! Could not sleep at night? Tire yourself in PnV! Waiting for the food to be served? Feed zombies with veggies in PnV!
This seems to be the daily order at home as most of us (7 – 6 adults and one child - out of 11 housemates) are hooked by the game. Whether it’s on iPad, iPhone or PC, you will see seven of us fixed to our devices busy defending our virtual homes from the mob of brain-hungry zombies. Our dearest allies? The zombie-zapping plants!
Our home is considered a community of Plants vs. Zombies enthusiasts who find the game a good way to de-stress and yeah, bond together. Over breakfast or dinner, we share tips and tricks on what plants to use on particular zombies. Oddly enough, the zombie talk would spice up our appetite! Watching a fellow gamer on a defensive stance invites another gamer to help, lest the zombies eat his or her brains (PnV term of losing the game).
But more than the game’s entertainment value, I see PnV parallel to an education platform that instils us the principles of strategy, creativity and perseverance. It’s not a mere means to kill time but more than a dollar worth of lessons in career and life.
Below are some eureka thoughts on Plants vs. Zombies one Saturday afternoon after I failed to defend my virtual home four times:
- Know your enemies
From Sun Tzu to Pop Cap, this passage holds true. It is when we know our enemies that we know best how to win the game. - Know your enemies’ weaknesses
Similar with the above, it is when we know our enemies’ weaknesses that we can position ourselves better. It is when we know their pain points that we set the right weapon and win over them. -
Think before you act
Fascinating, this passage is not only applicable to our dealings with our family and loved ones. It also applies to our careers, business decisions and games of strategy such as PnV. - Never give up
After the zombies ate my brains for four consecutive times on the roof of my virtual house one Saturday afternoon, I told myself not to give up. I took a rest for a while and prepared myself for the next battle. It was quite difficult for me to accept defeat but the game reminded me of not losing perspective. -
Overcome the challenge and win over
This is what I had in mind when I returned in the game. Not only that I was more relaxed to face the challenge head on, I had planned my strategy well that eventually led to the zombies’ defeat. Nyahaha. -
Prepare for the worst
Life in reality is not always sunny and so is life in PnV. It is good to be always on the winning side, however, if some stroke of misfortune happen, we must be ready as well. -
If defeat is inevitable, let it be. But know what to do in the next encounter.
This is so true even in real life. If we stumble upon a rock in our journey home and it is inevitable that we stop for a while, so be it. There is no harm in putting up with some dose of disappointment from time to time. Even Michael Jordan missed thousands of shot attempts before he became the basketball legend. It is the attitude to continue and finish the battle with triumph that matters in the end. -
They are just zombies. They stand no better than you.
So are petty co-workers. What should we do then? Shrug them off. -
Work hard but play harder
I learned this catch-phrase from my previous company who pushes its people to excel but instils them the value of enjoying work despite of stress and busy schedules. How they do it? They have team-building programmes to let their employees loosen up a bit in an environment where they can play but meet business objectives. These programmes boost productivity and make employees feel good about the company.
My view on PnV is the same. Fighting against zombies can be quite tedious. And rewarding me after a tiring battle is but necessary. How? A good night sleep, a shopping spree and a blog entry. - Take good care of the things you hold dear
In PnV, I hold my virtual home so dear, thus I fight hard to keep it safe and secured from the brain-hungry zombies.
In real life, I value my spouse, family and career most, thus not letting anything mess up with them. I hold them so dearly as they define the way I live .
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