It’s hard to believe that the Olympics have already come and gone, after months of anticipation leading up to them. From Simone Biles’ history-making appearance and incredible routines to gold medal victories that gave us allllll the feels, there was definitely no shortage of superstar sports moments in Rio that totally set Twitter ablaze. To rediscover that excitement, we chatted with Jill Wilson, the SVP of Game Development at Social Gaming Network. She created five games you can play with your S.O., friends or your fam to turn the tasks you dread most into opportunities for amazing victory. Scroll on to read them and then go crush it!
The Dish Derby
How fast can you unload your dishwasher? Jill tells us, “Our household personal record is one minute, four seconds for a full load. But this type of chorelympics-worthy performance doesn’t come overnight. It takes practice, passion and dedication to the Dish Derby.” This lady totally knows what’s up.
How to play: Open the dishwasher. Start the stopwatch on your phone, and unload those dishes like your life depends on it!
Guess the Groceries
Jill swears that grocery shopping can actually be fun. “Get in the game while checking the grocery shopping off your to-do list, she says, “First stop, Whole Foods. Next stop, Showcase Showdown.” Oh yeah.
How to play: Shop ’til you drop. Guess the total cost of what’s in your cart. If playing with a partner, the person who comes closest to the actual total price of the groceries without going over wins. If playing solo, give yourself a W if you can guess within $10 of the actual total price.
Master Chef Me
Jill asks, “Can you channel your inner Gordon Ramsay from the comfort of your own kitchen?” Sharpen your knives and get ready to have some fun with this dinner competition.
How to play: Write down 10 ingredients you have in the house on little slips of paper and put them in a hat. Pick out three. Make a Master Chef-worthy dish highlighting those three ingredients. Best dish wins! If playing solo, you be the judge. Do you deserve to go up to the balcony for that meal?
Take-out Tetris
Finding old food in the fridge happens to most of us at one time or another. Jill agrees and says, “You NEED to clean out that questionable take-out before it completely takes over.”
How to play: Take everything out of the fridge — this way, you can’t quit halfway through the game. Put things back in neat rows. When you complete a row, throw out three expired products. You can even sing the Tetris song as you go.
Your Most Dreaded Task
Jill says, “We all have the one — that chore or task that keeps getting moved to the next to-do list and seems way too big to tackle. Whether it’s planning a family reunion for 120 people (yes, I’m currently doing this) or doing your taxes, when chores seem overwhelming, we oftentimes put off doing them. In these circumstances, you probably need a game more than ever.”
How to play: Break the task up into chunks. Then divide those chunks into mini chunks. Remember that no chunk is too small. Jill tells us, “For example, if I’m planning the family reunion, one chunk is to find a date that works for everyone. My mini chunks include emailing or calling each person I need buy-in from in order to make the decision, and then emailing everyone again to confirm. Already, I’m at about 12 items for just that one part of the task.”
Put it all in a spreadsheet and print it out. Stick it on the fridge. Write out a list of mini prizes you want to give yourself and one big prize. Put the mini prizes in a bowl by the fridge. Every time you complete a mini chunk, give yourself a star sticker. Every time you get 10 stars, pick a mini prize out of the bowl.
When you finally complete the whole chore, treat yourself to your a grand prize. New bag, anyone?
Will you try one of Jill’s games? Tweet us which one @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.