I am sure many of you have heard about the popular online game Minecraft. The game is made out of block graphics and allows the player to take advantage of their imagination (and lack of realistic physics in game). It is a very addictive game... but fortunately I was only absorbed in it for about three days (then Skyrim came, and examples from that can also be used for this post).
What has all this got to do with anything I would want to talk about? Why am I even mentioning this? Well, I noticed something very interesting while playing. Nothing happens at once. The biggest castle, the deepest underground city, the most elaborate maze, none of it is created at once. Sounds obvious? Well, yeah, it is. But there is a significance to this. When you play in "survival" mode on this game, you start with nothing and have to gather all your materials and make all your tools. And step 1 is punching trees to get wood (fortunately that's not a life lesson).
Everything is built gradually. I have had multiple games building a big project: a giant keep, a tree forest, a large wall village, etc. It always works with me starting with a little hut, hunting some animals, and mining a few basic materials. I gather enough materials for a local farm, start mining deeper, get more materials, explore more, and so one. No major, immediate changes. But then suddenly, I will realize I have the resources to start building a bigger, better house. So I may lay a foundation, then go back and farm some more, then mine some more, come back and build a bit, etc.
If I stand back after several hours of playing and compare what I have done to what it all looked like when I started, there is a major difference. But that difference came through little bits here and there. It reminded me that real life works that same way.
You don't graduate high school in one day. You go there for years, day after day. You don't notice any immediate changes, but when you stop and look back, you see a difference.
When you train, you don't go from a scrawny kid (or fat kid) to a Greek Statue overnight. It takes years of dedication. Doing workouts that improve your body little by little, and eating a diet that improves you bit by bit. Then one day you look back, and realize you have a six pack, or lost 20lbs, or whatever.
And of course the old saying, Rome wasn't built in a day. It was built over centuries. And as what happens to me in Minecraft, it is never finished. There is always a little more I can do. We should live life the same way. Don't expect major, overnight changes. They happen, but work towards the gradual, steady progression in life. I will be trying to live as such myself. Always remember to continue doing these little things (exercising, studying, writing, etc.), because although I may not notice an immediate difference, over time they will add up. This applies for negative things to. If you eat a large pizza every day it adds up over time.
So just remember, take it steady. This is my lesson from Minecraft, and many other games.
