I like video games. That doesn’t mean that I play them, however (many games take too much time these days). But I do keep myself updated with the world of gaming.
From watching the trends, I notice two things:
- Many popular games come and go. Remember Pokemon Go? It was all the rage back in 2016. But nowadays, I barely hear of it anymore. That’s the fact with many popular games: they come and go.
- Some games are ‘evergreen.’ On the other hand, there are some games that are still popular years after their initial release. A good example is the Civilization series (or Civ, for short). It was first released in 1991, but now, 28 years later, it’s still going strong.
From these facts, I believe we can learn something for our personal effectiveness. The big question that we want to answer is this:
How can I stay relevant?
This is an important question to answer. We, of course, don’t want to be outdated and forgotten. Instead, we want to still be relevant for years to come.
To answer the question, I extracted three tips from how evergreen games work. Here are the three tips on how to stay relevant.
1. Find Your Core Competence
Evergreen games find some core mechanics that work and stick to them. For instance, the Civ series taps into our desire to build and conquer. This core mechanic, linked to human nature, will stay relevant for a long, long time.
Similarly, you need to find your core competence. What is the specific, timeless thing that you are good at? The timeless part here is important. It helps you dig beneath the surface to find your core competence.
For instance, you might think that you are good at blogging. But by digging deeper, you would find that you are actually good at communicating ideas. That is timeless. Blogging might go away, but communicating ideas will still be relevant for many years to come.
2. Reinvent Yourself
While the evergreen games find core mechanics that work, the details of how they implement those mechanics keep changing over time. The Civ series renews their graphics and includes new features over time. Another series, Call of Duty, included a new battle-royale mode in its recent release.
Similarly, you need to keep upgrading yourself. You may need to reinvent yourself every now and then. Know your season and be versatile.
Let’s say that your core competence is communicating ideas. Reinventing yourself here might mean using a new medium to communicate your ideas. You might no longer be a blogger; you might now become a YouTuber.
3. Build Your Personal Brand
The evergreen games have something else that keeps people coming back: their brands. For example, the Civ series has a strong brand that people associate with fun and replayability.
Similarly, you need to build your personal brand. Make yourself memorable. Make your message known. It’s not easy to do, but having a strong personal brand will help you stand out from the crowd.
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With these three strategies, you can stay relevant. Any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments.
