Problem solving seems to be the first thing that people bring up when discussing the benefits of video games. This is because one of the most common elements of all video games is the need to assess situations and decide the best course of action to take in order to succeed. With an increasing emphasis in the gaming industry on storytelling, this is not always the case any more. While we still have it in almost every game to a degree, the amount of actual problem solving is quite different for every game. Some offer more of an illusion of problems solving, practically (or just out-right) pointing you to the answer unsolicited.

Even with little in terms of problem solving, the first step should always be the same: make sure you understand the situation before you do anything. The tiniest detail could always be the most critical. Especially when confronting an issue in life, just picking a direction can be impossible if you don’t understand where you are trying to go. My first attempt at Dark Souls is perhaps the most relatable for me when talking about this specifically. Once I arrived in the area just after the tutorial, I had absolutely no idea where to go! You can try many different paths once you just walk around a little, but if you don’t talk to the man right next to you upon your arrival, you won’t even know what you are supposed to be doing. He tells you generally where you need to go, up to a church and very far down. By doing what you can to understand the situation, you now have, at the very least, two directions to go and some idea of what you are looking for.

In life, there is not always somebody to tell you what you need to do next and how to start. Learning how to do things your own way is important, but without taking the time to even understand what it is you are doing, you cannot begin to find your own way to do it. For me, after college I was sort of lost. I had a general direction I could go with my degree, but after looking around for months and months, I realized that I didn’t even know what I was looking for (besides a job). Later on I understood that I wanted to start a business of my own, but then I had to figure out what it was going to do, and then I had to figure out how to do it. For most things in life, if not everything, the best way to understand what your situation is and how to proceed, you just need to pick a direction and start. As the saying goes, “failure is the best teacher.”

Like most of these lessons, this one got a bit mixed as I went along, but it seems to have a general direction more or less. In fact, I’m constantly reminded of a song when I don’t know where to start. “Eat the Elephant” is a song by the band, A Perfect Circle, and if that sounds familiar it’s because there is an saying, “the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” (I may be paraphrasing here) Basically, when finding yourself in a situation where you have no idea where to even begin, just begin and you’ll find yourself making progress eventually. It may be long and difficult, but at least you will start to understand the situation and you will become better once you just start.