My night time routine is always the same: After finishing my homework, brushing my teeth, doing my skincare and climbing into bed, I immediately open the New York Times Games app on my phone. Whether it’s 12 a.m. or 2 a.m., solving the Wordle, Connections, Mini Crossword and Strands is a day must-do task.
It all began over the summer when my friend and I began a silly competition to see who could solve the daily Wordle faster. Whenever I won, the resulting dopamine rush put me in a much better mood the next morning.
Since then, playing the games has turned into somewhat of a ritual, even without my friend to compete with. If I’m able to complete all the games successfully and quickly, I know the next day will be a good day.
I especially began believing in this good luck charm after I solved the Wordle in two tries and solved the crossword in under 30 seconds the night before my AP Chemistry Gases test.
The test was the easiest one I had taken that year.
While this first situation might seem like a coincidence, there have been further incidents with the games that have determined my fate for the following day.
Last month, I solved the Wordle in five tries — not my best attempt — and failed to solve the Connections successfully. When I went to school, I realized that not only were my AirPods out of battery (how was I supposed to walk around the school alone now?), but there was also a pop quiz in AP U.S. History. Luckily, I had taken copious notes on the reading; but to make matters worse, there weren’t enough copies of the quiz and I was forced to take a quiz on the next reading chapter — a chapter I hadn’t even read yet.
Now, whenever I solve the games easily, I’m optimistic about the next day and manage to get out of bed without much complaining. And even when I don’t do as well as I’d like, I put all my effort into making decisions that can make my day better.
While a mere four games definitely aren’t the sole perpetrator of bad days — or the cause of my good ones — they have become a way to appreciate the good things that happen each day and fuel my ever-growing belief in my good luck charm.
