I’m going to say something you won’t hear often: It is worth your time to play Angry Birds.

I don’t mean that Angry Birds is fun. (Even though it is.)

I don’t mean that Angry Birds is good for clearing your mind – and getting rid of your aggression – when you’re taking a break from work. (Even though it is.)

I don’t mean that Angry Birds is clever both from a game standpoint and from a marketing standpoint. (Even though it is.)

I mean that Angry Birds teaches you lessons you’ll need to be successful.

No, really.

When you play Angry Birds, you learn …

If you fail, try again (and again and again).

When you’re playing Angry Birds, there will come a time when you’ll fail a level. In order to win the level, you have to kill pop all the pigs on that level. Sometimes, you just can’t get ’em all.

It kind of happens a lot.

The only way to get past that level is to keep on shooting the bird trying. And believe me, quitting is not an option. Those pigs smirk at you, and you just have to pop their heads.

Sometimes you fail when you try something new. Sometimes you fail a lot. Riding a bike. Turning your hobby into a profitable side gig. Starting a new relationship. Sometimes things just don’t work out.

If you play Angry Birds, you know that quitting is not an option. Failure is just what happens on your way to success. So you try again. But this time, you …

Try the problem from another angle.

You’re launching your bird up into the air in order to have it come crashing down on the pigs’ latest fortress. After doing this forever, you notice that your strategy is not working.

“Hmm,” you think. You launch the next bird across the screen instead of at an upward angle.

Crash! The bird hits just the right board to bring the entire structure down, popping those pigs at last.

Sometimes the only thing you need to get past failure is to tackle the problem from a different angle.

Don’t be afraid to experiment.

If there’s one thing Angry Birds shows us, it’s that you never know when success is around the corner. Keep trying, keep putting the time in, keep building it. Eventually, they will come.

And in the meantime, if you need a short break? Play Angry Birds. It teaches you things.