Are you the type who likes to play games on your phone?
Did you know that when you’re playing a game, the game is playing you too?
Let me explain what I mean from my experience and then share how it applies to running a business.
First, I want to share my last post with you, which you can come back to after this post. I write about work and health and making a business work in a healthy manner.
So, what’s wrong with playing games?
There’s nothing really wrong with playing games on your smartphone or any games for that matter.
I just learned in my game playing, that there’s more happening than just me playing a game.
I discovered the game was also playing me! 😲 Maybe it’s the game creators…
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to go on a rant about how games are bad and have a sinister plan behind them 😆
I just want to discuss something I learned that was happening to me that reflects on business.
There’s a game I’ve been playing for a few years now and it seems a fitting game to use being it is autumn, and the game is Harry Potter 😊
Let me paint you a scenario of what I’m referring to.
Scenario
I turn on my game and each day greeted with a bonus of free time (Free Play) for anywhere from 15 – 45 minutes, which is great. Just for the record I play a free version of the game and refuse to pay.
In each game, I can accumulate and use power-ups that should work in my favour.
Sometimes I can advance pretty quickly and sometimes it takes me 45 minutes of free time to just complete one board.
There are times when I use a power-up to eliminate one object left, and the power-up sends out 5 winged keys and not one of those five keys eliminates that one object I had left.
Does that sound like power-ups work in my favour?
These are all frustrations that try to lead a person to pay money for more power-ups not just free or earned ones.
Then there are times when the game gives some easy wins, then more obstacles and unfairness than before. Suddenly I feel okay with the previous less frustrating winged key issue I mentioned. 🙄
On another note, there are also commercials to watch as it’s a free version I play.
Start out watching 15-second commercials multiple times, which gets frustrating. Then there are 30-second commercials, which gets even more frustrating.
Guess what happens? Now the 15-second commercials are not so bad and there’s more and more 30-sec ones and the 15-sec are suddenly quite refreshing.
Oh no, now there are 60-sec commercials, sometimes 2-3 in a row 😤 and suddenly after some time the 30-sec ones are more tolerable and when it’s 15-sec it’s exciting!
The way this is going, soon I will be okay with 1 and 2 minute commercials 🤪
Do you see the pattern?
It’s called CONDITIONING.
What’s conditioning all about and why does it matter? 🤷
Conditioning in a simplified form is the process our brain goes through when it has been exercised repeatedly to think a certain way. (used from paradigmlife.net)
In this example of playing my game, my brain is repeatedly subject to commercials that interrupt my game and the more the commercial time increases, the more acceptable my brain feels the shorter commercials are.
As this increases, I will be conditioned to accept and watch longer commercials, allowing the game owner to increase advertising and make more money from advertisers and player views.
This may seem like a big issue as it’s just a game and one could just stop playing it.
Why am I committing an entire blog post to this? 🤔
What’s all this about?
This got me thinking about my life and ability to run a business.
What other conditioning has been happening through the course of my life that may have been training my mind to modify my thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs to accept thinking patterns, tendencies, and mental states that could hinder me in life and running my business?
What conditioning have YOU been accepting, in this same regard?
We work hard at conditioning ourselves into modifying our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs in a positive way to improve ourselves.
How often have we examined other things around us that also influence and condition us in a negative sense?
Why is this important?
How can we adjust or stop negative conditioning if we don’t know where it is and how it’s coming to us?
We try to put positive conditioning methods in place to push out the negative conditioning, but it continues as a constant tug of war in our brain and can be exhausting!
Would it not be better to eliminate as much of that negative conditioning as possible?
Now, without all that tug of war and back and forth, the impact of your positive conditioning will be HUGE! 🤯
Conclusion
I’ve discovered that the majority of the obstacles I face in running my business are the patterns of thinking and limiting beliefs that have formed over the years.
I guess it’s why those who have become successful reveal that the most important part is working on ourselves and improving our thoughts and beliefs.
This understanding goes back thousands of years and is even taught in the Bible which states, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23).
It’s a universal principle that’s been proven over and over throughout many generations to be true.
This brings us back to the question of whether we are keeping track of the negative conditioning in order to keep it at bay or are we just ignoring it.
What are your thoughts on this?
I would love to hear them and hope you’ll leave a comment and let me know. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Talk soon, 👍
Denny
Are you ready to learn a bit more? This is where I started.
(Any product purchased through a hyperlink on my website may be an affiliate link, potentially resulting in a small commission for me. Please note that these commissions are not an additional cost to you, as they are paid directly by the supplier.)
Conditioning! I see it the game I play on my phone too. You make a great point and it’s no wonder that marketing leaders spend so much time helping us work on our mindset.
It is my belief that we need to remain focussed on the positive and in so doing, we can shed all that negative conditioning that can so easily sabotage our efforts with improving our lives with an online business.
Robert Klein recently posted…Facebook Ad Rejections And What To Do About Them
Yes, good marketers know how to infiltrate a person’s mind quite well.
I agree we need to focus on the positive and it pushes out the negative conditioning.
However, I also thing it’s important to shut the door on the negative conditioning that we know is impacting us.
I can be in my office focusing on work, but elsewhere in the house there can be a distraction, unless I shut the door it’s going to be more challenging being focused on work or as we’re taking about here, the positive. Thanks for sharing!
Denny
Hi Denny,
I really enjoyed reading how you connected the experience of playing games to the conditioning that impacts us in life and business. It’s eye-opening to realize how much of our mindset is shaped by what we’re exposed to without noticing. Your point about the back-and-forth struggle between positive and negative conditioning is really important, especially in business.
It’s a reminder to stay aware of the influences around us so we can focus on the ones that help us move forward. Thanks for sharing these insights, I’ll definitely be reflecting on them!
Meredith
Meredith Moore recently posted…Maximize Your TikTok Game with Video Batching: Here’s How!
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for your comment and feedback!
I so happy you enjoyed the post! I agree, it’s eye opening indeed.
I think focusing on the positive things that help us is important and I also think it’s important to eliminate the things the negatively impact us and prevent us from moving forward. If we don’t shut the door on the negative stuff then the tug of war continues to be fierce. But the more negative we eliminate the the less opposition there is and the positive can easily win the tug of war 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Denny
What you describe is called mindset! Or reverse psychology! Or simply staying awake to how I am thinking about any given moment! It’s an inside game!
Thank you for your comment and feedback!
Yes, it certainly is an inside game and requires us to be diligent at all times.
Thanks again for sharing 🙂
Denny
Hi Denny,
Definitely a great post and a must-read blog entry! We sometimes don’t think of these little things, these “conditioners” that slowly but surely creep up in our every day lives!
It’s worth the effort to go over how many of these we could possibly have to endure during the day. For my part, I don’t have enough patience to listen to or play a game where advertisement will interrupt my game.
Being of the older generation, I’m wondering how todays kids deal with this?
All the best!
Hi Marc,
Thank so much for commenting!
Yes, it’s easy to get busy and forget the little things that creep in and can impact us negatively.
Although it can be a lot of work to keep track of where the negative conditioning is coming, it is worth it, as you say.
I think with every new generation they become more easily influenced by the negative conditioning and it becomes a more common state of mind.
Thanks again for sharing!
Denny
Denny
Clever use of the emojis, they are attention grabbing. Scary what you told us about conditioning, but we can be conditioned for bad or good.
Scott Rulon recently posted…A day in the Life of an Affiliate Marketer
Hi Scott,
Thanks for leaving a comment!
Glad you liked the emojis, I like to have fun with them 🙂
Yes, we certainly can be conditioned for bad and good, however, many just accept both and it becomes a tug of war throughout the day in their minds. It takes an intentional approach when we find things that impact us for bad, to close that door so the mind can function easier for good, without as big a fight. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Denny
Hi Denny – After I read your blog post I started to reflect on the theme of conditioning and had a nice long conversation with my wife and how we get conditioned to do things. Some of the things are beneficial, some of the things are a waste of time and some of the things are just things that we do every day that are neither good or bad… just stuff! I find it as I am more and more aware of how I spend my time the more and more I can choose in a selective way how that time is used. I’ll admit sometimes I’m conditioned to waste time. But sometimes that “wasted time” is time that I needed to rejuvenate my thinking. There’s a song by Brad Paisley called Time Well Wasted and it speaks to this topic. I’m listening to it now as I compose this comment. However, the goal is to not waste time and use it wisely well we still have it. I’m rambling so I better get back to work and use my time wisely. However, your blog was a good use of my time as it made me think! Thanks for that!
Hi Ernie,
Thanks so much for your comment!
I love what you shared on this comment and how you mentioned some thing are beneficial, some a waste of time, and some just everyday stuff not good or bad. You’re so right that it’s best to choose to not waste time but as you said, sometimes we need to waste some time to rejuvenate 🙂 It’s awesome that this got you and your wife reflecting and thinking about it and so happy you found it to be a good use of your time 🙂 I really enjoy your feedback! All the best!
Denny
Hi Denny,
What an insightful post! It’s fascinating how something as simple as playing a game can reveal so much about conditioning and how it influences our mindset. Your example of how conditioning works through game ads really highlights how easily we’re shaped by repeated experiences—and it’s a powerful lesson for business and personal growth.
I’ve also been thinking about what kinds of conditioning I’ve been allowing in my life, and your post is a great reminder to be more mindful of those influences. It’s inspiring to consider the positive impact of eliminating negative conditioning and focusing on growth-oriented beliefs.
Thank you for sharing your reflections and sparking this important discussion. Looking forward to more of your insights!
All the Best,
Ezequiel recently posted…Leveraging Results: Strategizing for Future Succes
Hi Ezequiel,
Thanks so much for your comment and so happy you enjoyed the post!
There’s so much to learn from life even something as simple as playing a game 🙂
It’s so good that you’ve already been thinking about this and considering how it may have influence in your life.
Thanks again for sharing your feedback! Wish you all the best!
Denny
What an insightful post! The way you connected game conditioning to life and business is spot on. It’s so easy to get caught up in patterns without even realizing it. Your message about recognizing negative conditioning and pushing it out with positive conditioning is powerful, and it’s a reminder to stay mindful of how our environment subtly shapes us. I especially love how you brought it back to self-improvement and the importance of mindset, which is a game-changer in business and life alike.
Your perspective on this would resonate with so many people! Have you considered doing a TikTok video series on this? I bet people would love to engage with the topic.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for your comment and feedback!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and resonated so well with it.
Your opinion and encouragement are so valuable!
I haven’t really considered doing a video about it but since you mention it I will consider it.
I have been working on positioning myself to re-engage through video, as I became preoccupied and stopped making videos.
Thanks again for sharing!
Denny
Denny,
Oh yes conditioning. I guess I forgot (see conditioning already) that we are conditioned for almost everything. You mentioned games, but there is also the TV we watch. I have a step counter app on my phone and in order for my steps to be counted I am shown an add every so often. I never really thought about it. I have heard that the more “touches” you can get in front of someone, they will eventually buy from you. This can be the same for affiliate marketing, or any business for that matter.
Sherri
Hi Sherri,
Thanks so much for your comment!
Yes, we seem to be conditioned for almost everything.
Some things are good, others not so good, and yet other conditioning neither good nor bad just everyday tasks 🙂
You’re right connecting with people through marketing, social media or emails more often will eventually trust in us and potentially make a purchase.
I appreciate your feedback and hope to see you back again!
Denny