Back in the early 2000s, my world revolved around video
games. One minute I was Princess Peach in Mario Party 8 (the best Mario Party),
the next I was shifting from wolf to human in Twilight Princess. Saturdays were
for Wii Sports showdowns, and weekdays were for hopping onto Minecraft and Club
Penguin. As I grew older, and obviously more mature, my thirst for turning
games into real-life experiences hit me hard.
Level 1: As a kid with Windows XP and a taste of responsibility,
I had the perfect lineup: Avenue Flo, Wedding Dash, Cake Mania, and Purble
Place. I was obsessed with organizing chaos, clicking fast, and keeping
everyone happy. Looking back, it was less gaming and more early workplace
conditioning. Still, this fed into my early childhood dream: to have a job.
Like a real job. I wanted to clock in, take orders, and serve up results.
Level 2: When I turned 15, I landed my first job at my mom’s
boyfriend’s (now stepdad’s) restaurant.
I was living the Diner Dash dream: taking orders, bussing tables,
brewing coffee, and giving pastries to extend customer patience. He was the
only chef, which meant I was stationed at the counter (just like Flo) waiting to
deliver dishes before the customer bar turned red. This was fast paced, stressful,
and totally perfect.
Level 3: In high school (16 years old), I decided one job
wasn’t enough. This was when my Papa’s Freezeria training from middle school
kicked in (thank you Coolmath Games for giving me a part-time job before I ever
paid taxes). I had the prep, the toppings, the build station, and the clock always
ticking in my head. Multitasking orders and customizing sandwiches outside of
Mike’s Way? That’s sandwich artistry under pressure, just how I like it.
Level 4: After about 10 months, I swapped subs for sweets
and joined Crumbl Cookies (while still helping my stepdad, shout-out me at 17
years old). This wasn’t just baking; it was co-op survival mode. Think
Overcooked, but with real ovens, and no margin for error. iPads tracked
decorating time, no freezers, no shortcuts, chill-thaw-bake-cool-warm precision
and recipe memory work that would have made the Onion Kingdom safe a thousand
times over. I made a mental game to beat the timers and remember orders before
they even printed. Managing dozens of cookies and preparing for rushes? This
was easy, my controller thumbs have sweat harder.
Level 5: After taking a break during my first summer of college
(call back to the last post), I got bored and decided to work at a Universal Studios
hotel (18 years old). I was a retail attendant, running the mini mart before, during,
and after Halloween Horror Nights. Clock in at 3pm, clock out at 2am, go to
class at 9am. With that kind of sleep, I was living in a Five Nights at Freddy’s
spin-off, except instead of animatronics, I see crazy drunk hotel guests.
Level 6: Today, I’m in the world of spreadsheets and revenue
reports – fully living in Sims 4: Get to Work. I went from intern at 18 to
full-time Financial Analyst by 20, all while finishing my degree. Still
managing time, still juggling tasks, still fighting the invisible customer
patience bar that now suspiciously feels like a deadline from my boss. Every
game I played, every job I took, every timer I beat, trained me for this. Time management
isn’t just something I learned, it is the proudest and most powerful skill I’ve
built. It is what keeps me ahead, keeps me organized, and keeps me from burning
out while juggling school, work, and life.
These games have trained me, the jobs have tested me, and
now I’m playing the hardest, most fun game of all… reality.
And honestly? I’m kind of crushing it.
