It is crazy how engaging in “mental exercises” outside of your primary work related task, will, in fact, make you more proficient, or at least, more dexterous within the workplace.

In the same way an athlete does more than simply play their sport to “work out”… I think that as engineers (of any type), it is important for us to participate in activities that stimulate or minds in more areas than simply what we are primarily tested in during our “work time”.

Otherwise, we become no better than machines with blinders on, focused only at our task ahead… repeating the same task ad nauseum… eventually destroying the very characteristics that make us good at our job in the first place.

Where on earth did that footnote smiley face come from? Awesome.