Bling — Bling — Bling — Your eyes dilate. Sweat beads tingle, you clench at your breath. All which only increase the nervous tension. Your finger taps are slightly off beat now. Bling — your heartbeat races as Flappy has a close call with the wave of menacing green pipes. Then comes your inevitable crack. Timing is crucial in Flappy Bird and you panicked. After a second, you take a deep breath, and it all starts over again.

Here are seven lessons I drew from the frustrating failures and proud successes you experience in Flappy Bird.

#1 Experience and mistakes will improve your composure

That moment you start doubting yourself *, panic and things go bad bird crazy.

By design, Flappy Bird is a repetitively looped obstacle of navigating through waves of pipes at a set difficultly. Assuming your finger stamina is held constant, anyone who can score a few points should be able score much higher — but most don’t because they focus too much on the goal, during the execution.

In Flappy Bird, as in many challenges in life, becoming preoccupied with end results often leads to anxiety, frustration, panic and regret. Instead, by channeling your focus into your task, as you were doing during the first ten pipe sets, Flappy has a much better chance of achieving his goals and enjoying the moment.

*And Flappy

#2 Life waits for no man or woman (or bird?)

That moment you allow Flappy to pummel into the ground like humpty dumpty.

Sometimes when your frustrations get the best of you, it’s easier to just do nothing and let the world run its course. But the next time you’re tired of your frustrations just think of Flappy in the face of adversity. After millions of run-ins with green pipes worldwide, the pipes continue but courageous Flappy persists. Just like you can. He can choose to stop flapping his wings; he’d just be driven at the ground (or a pipe). However, that’s precisely what he doesn’t do (mostly because of you) and it’s an incredibly human attribute. You help him overcome his inaction and decide to soar regardless of the pipes in his way.

Just as you’d advise Flappy, don’t be paralyzed by the obstacles in your path, however daunting. Each fleeting moment is priceless and only you can guarantee that you’ll continue flapping your wings.

#3 First you make your flapping habits, then your flaps make you

That moment you notice your fingers are — magically — on autopilot.

Flappy achieves stable flight in harmony with your finger taps. Stable taps equal stable flight. Oftentimes, success comes down to how well you can maintain your composure during critical moments (think job interview, sales pitch, sober karaoke, etc.) This doesn’t mean repressing your naturally occurring emotions. It means acknowledging them and then building habits which facilitate stable flight — even when the stakes are high. When your taps with Flappy habitually generate stable flight, achieving higher scores becomes notably easier.

In comparison, it’s easier to achieve breakthroughs in your life when disciplined execution or positive habits become your autopilot.

#4 Foresight and preparation allow you to make the most of your opportunities

That moment you start mentally preparing your next few finger taps — in advance.

The pipes of Flappy Bird are all of different heights, sometimes they’re low and other times they’re high. Certain goals in your life will require hustling flaps in short timeframes. Other opportunities will come to you — you simply have to spot them and seize the moment before they pass.

#5 Life goes at its own pace

That moment you flap too quickly — or do an accidental double flap — and poor bird meets hard lead.

American master of aphorisms, James Richardson writes,

“No matter how fast you travel, life walks.”

Despite Flappy’s furious flaps, he doesn’t progress lest he approaches the pipes at the pace, the challenges in his life, at their pace. It’s your job to (1) maintain Flappy’s rhythm, (2) synchronize it his world, (3) anticipate his obstacles and (4) positioning him to overcome them. Just like real life obstacles, Flappy’s pipes are endless and you have keep time.

Even if you want the life of your dreams right now, life tends to go at its own pace. Progress is a process and your gradual continued efforts will eventually accumulate into success over time. Flappy faces countless pipes which is awesome — because life without the pipes would be quite boring don’t you think?

*That might have been a creative interpretation of Richardson’s quote.

#6 Celebrate the small victories

Each moment you hear a — Bling — and you smile because you’ve made it.

In Flappy Bird, each set of pipes you pass is rewarded with an upbeat “bling” (which is considerably annoying after a while, but brownie points for getting the right idea) Flappy Bird on to something. If you wait until you’ve maneuvered through every obstacle in your life to reflect at your results, you’d miss chances to acknowledge all your work. Celebrate the small efforts you make every day — it’ll leave you more gratified with your life overall.

#7 We’re all in this together

That moment you casually talk about Flappy Bird — and no one asks “What’s Flappy Bird?”

In the midst of training, playing and getting caught up in the perpetual pipes ahead for us, sometimes it’s easy to forget that each of us shares part of Flappy’s struggle. Everyone around us experiences their own unique set of equally intimidating pipes. So rest assured because you’re not alone. We’re united in that we’re all on this struggle-bus together.

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After writing this article and reflecting on my high score on Flappy Bird, I’ve concluded that I’m merely moderately successful at life thus far. But that’s A OK — it means are more places to go, birds to see and pipes to conquer!

BONUS LESSON: I’m not quite sure if Flappy has any clue where he’s going to end up. I’m sure someone can relate to that one.