“Noooooooo… Please don’t make me play Monopoly,” I wailed\u00a0to my lovely sister. “Anything else. Really. Monopoly takes FOREVER<\/em>!” To which she replied, “But, it will be fun!” I was unconvinced for many years. Perhaps you still are. Isn’t it extraordinary how we agree to try\u00a0things we are certain\u00a0we will not like just because someone we love says to give it a try? Finally, this winter break, I realized the joy that is in Monopoly and the reason why we’re taking it as a theme for this year’s 29 Days to Diva – a good game takes a long time.<\/p>\n

\n

A good<\/em><\/strong> game takes a long time.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Your\u00a029 Days to Diva – Day 3 Challenge is to Commit to the Long Game.<\/h2>\n

It isn’t just Monopoly that is influencing this year’s 29 Days to Diva steps; but gamification in general. SAPS is a core framework of gamification, app developers, loyalty programs, and more. It is an acronym that stands for status, access, power, and stuff. The idea is that they are also ranked in order from strongest to weakest. Upon first reading, I know quite a few of you will balk at the idea of actively wanting “status” and “power.” I encourage you to think of the most positive connotation you can assume for those words. Negative connotations will keep us playing small and negating our ability to change the world through our art. We want status in our community to make exciting things happen for ourselves and other musicians. We want more access to the people we care about in our lives (remember Day 1?<\/a>) I cannot think of anything more powerful than being able to heal other’s\u00a0exhausted souls through music. Changing your perception and connotation can change your entire experience.<\/p>\n