(Original title: Gamification, the power of chains and combos)

Chains and combos are strings of actions or events that flow smoothly from one into another. Once initiated (in fighting games), we’re looking at a series of attacks that cannot be interrupted. They are impressive to behold, because they typically require a level of skill and finesse to deliver. Commands have to be executed with precision, in perfect time. It takes practice to develop the ability to execute them on demand- but it’s not something drab and mundane, for it takes presence of mind to find opportunities to utilize them appropriately in the heat of battle. As an art and a science, it’s remarkably like music.

Here’s a video of Justin Wong- a professional fighting gamer- demonstrating his awesomeness. Enjoy!


Chains and combos are powerful. The combination of individual elements precipitates a whole that is substantially greater than the sum of its parts. Going back to music- consider an individual note on a piano, independent of context. Anybody can play that, even non-musicians. But then consider that same note, utilized artfully in a melodic passage. That’s musicianship. The better the musician, the more beautiful the chains.

This blog post that you are reading is not exempt from this rule- it exists in tandem with its peers. Each word exists within a chain of others, forming sentences. Each sentence exists within a chain of others, forming paragraphs. And so on. As I become a better writer through focused practice and a harmonic cycle of action and reflection, the elegance of my chains should develop- and my readers should find themselves led from post to post, the way good writers and directors have us at the edge of our seats.(2024: interesting to revisit this now and see that I would now talk about this in terms of threads, hyperlinks)

While we intuitively understand the power of chains and combos- we know it when we see it- most of us don’t consciously utilize them much. I think this is because we’re not biologically wired to do so- our caveman brains tend to work more direct, simplistic ways. A good chain always seems magical, because we don’t see the amount of effort put into it. We might look at an athlete or dancer training, but we don’t quite appreciate the endless immensity of their cumulative effort. If we did, Michelangelo noted, it wouldn’t seem quite as magical.

So what are the chains that we could be building? If actions are individual notes, most of my life has been spent slamming my head against the keyboard of Life’s piano. Not very musical. Managing one’s life- or relationships, or teams, or finances, or business- management in any sense- is about making music. And lately, I’ve noticed certain motifs and melodies emerging from the chaos.

My fitness routine is one poignant example. 5 weeks into my pushups routine, and I find myself experiencing strength gains that I haven’t gotten from months of working out aimlessly in the gym. If we break it down into the minutes, it’s even more telling- I spend less than 10 to 20 minutes actually doing these pushups- 3 times a week, for 5 weeks running- that’s a total of barely 4 hours of actual exercise. In contrast, I used to spend about an hour in the gym every 3 days for several months- that’s 11 hours in 5 weeks. 4 hours of focused practice has gotten me further than 11 hours of non-focused practice, because it’s a more effective chain, a more melodic passage.

Thinking you need to “put in more hours of exercise” is like thinking you need to play more notes, write more words, use more paint. And think about it- I could have spent those other 7 hours writing, or practicing music, or spending time with my girlfriend. I won’t become Mozart if I bash my head on my piano for 10,000 hours. It’s focused, conscientious practice that counts.

And there are profound philosophical implications. We ourselves are individuals made up of many elements- of notes and colours that make up the music of our characters and personalities. Individually, we might be unimpressive toots or squeaks. But together, we make up the grandest of symphonies.

PS: I wanted this blog post itself to be an embodiment of the virtue I’m trying to extol here. So I was focused on writing. I didn’t allow myself any distractions online. The rough draft for the post was initiated on pen and paper while I was at work, and the rest of the post was generated in notepad, without the distraction of the internet. And the whole piece was completed in under an hour. It’s beautiful. I’ve completed a substantial piece of writing, AND I can now justifiably enjoy wasting some time online.

TL;DR:

No chain, no gain.