The Hidden Professional Value of Wordle
Jeff Lilly
Partner at Gordon Rees Scully & Mansukhani; Chair-Elect of Board of American Red Cross of Central and South Texas and Austin Bar Foundation Board Member
I am closing in on my 1,000th Wordle. That’s almost 3 years! If it takes me on average 3 minutes to play, that’s 3,000 minutes, or FIFTY HOURS of my life. I could be using this time in some more valuable way, right? Minutes, whether at work or play, have monetizable and other value.
So this is clearly a waste of professional and personal time.
Maybe NOT!
The value question isn’t whether it takes away monetizable work time, but whether the time helps you be better, and feel better, when working and, thereby, do BETTER work and FEEL BETTER doing it.
Routine ??
Well, first, it’s part of my daily routine. Wordle is one of the first things I do every morning. It provides an anchor for the day, and a routine start to the day adds to your comforting feeling of the known, and structure.
Good for Bad ??
Experts preach to us that if we want to stop a bad habit, we can't likely succeed by just WANTING to do better, but instead we have to REPLACE it with a different good habit. (Replacing M&Ms with carrots, for example, when you have the munchies.) Well, if your habit when you roll out of bed is to check your work e-mail, your day will be off to a better start if you instead do a quick game of Wordle — rather than greet the day with the potential frustration and blood pressure raising work issues before the fog of sleep has even started to lift.
Brain Food ??
Next, Wordle is good for the brain!
Dr. Emer MacSweeney, CEO and consultant neuroradiologist at Re:Cognition Health, says: “There are many cognitive benefits of playing Wordle. Regular play can enhance brain function by stimulating critical thinking, problem-solving skills and memory retention.” [Can playing Wordle boost your brain? Independent. By Abi Jackson Friday 15 March 2024]
Flow ????
Wordle also contributes to FLOW, another recognized health-inducing state.
"The happiest people are not the ones who achieve the most. They are the ones who spend more time than others in a state of flow.” Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and. Happy Life, by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles (2016)
Dr Sandi Mann, senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire believes sequence games like Wordle contribute to flow. [Can playing Wordle boost your brain? Independent. By Abi Jackson Friday 15 March 2024 06:30 EDT]
“Like any activity that requires us to focus our attention, Wordle can help us to achieve ‘psychological flow’. This is a state of mind in which we are completely engaged in an activity," says Mann.
Sharing is Caring ??
My kids and I often send each other our results - it’s just another ritualistic way we stay in touch. It’s like a little "I'm thinking of you" love note.
The Big Finish ??
Wordle, and similar games, are like pistachios for the brain - it’s small but packed full of well-being nutrients and health benefits that help to be a better and more serene human, and therefore professional.
Not yet convinced this is a worthwhile use of a precious 3 minutes a day? Well, you can set your Wordle to give a happy victory chime when you solve it. It's oddly satisfying!
I wish life came with more victory chimes for jobs completed.
That’s it for now - TA DA! ??
??: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Fracsesc Miralles (2017)
???: "Life is more fun if you play games." Roald Dahl