I recently got into the Wordle craze (a bit late I know).

Got me to thinking though – why do we like games like Wordle, Crosswords, Sudoku, etc.? And does this same thought process apply to pickleball?

Start here: why do we play a game like Wordle?

Is it because of the game’s solution? The solution, itself, is what we are after.

Or is it because of the work it takes to get to the solution? The solution is relevant because we are working toward it, but the reason for the game is the steps it takes to get there.

Stay with me here because it might just be the mental breakthrough you need to hear.

Wordle does not teach me new words when I play it. In other words, I am not discovering a new word when I solve the puzzle. That is not the point of it.

In any event, in a few weeks I will forget the ones from this week. That is not the point of it.

The reason for playing Wordle is in the act itself of working to solve the puzzle. That is the point of it.

In a year I will not remember the exact words I work on this week, but I will have gained the benefit of a more nimble mind, having worked through somewhere around 300+ Wordles during that time.

Pickleball is exactly the same.

What were your pickleball scores when you played on April 10, 2024? June 15, 2023? You get the picture.

The scores do not matter. Neither do the outcomes of specific rallies (think it through – there’s no difference).

What matters is that you are playing. You are hitting the ball. Trying to do your best each time you swing the paddle.

The joy of pickleball is in the process – the playing. Not in the results – the winning or losing.

Each time you play, you try to do the best you can. If you want to play better, you can study the game and put in some work. Even in those moments you can embrace the journey – because there is value in that.

As you play, your life improves. Your body is better for it. Your mind is better for it. Your soul is better for it.

Don’t let the outcomes rob you of the joy that is present with every shot you hit on a pickleball court. Outcomes are not the point of it. Playing is.

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See you there.

Tony