Welcome to another edition of the 1% Habits Newsletter!

This is where you’ll get up-to-date information on small wins to improve your habits, productivity, and life satisfaction. 

Let’s get to it.

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📈 My Favorite Way to Connect With Family and Friends

One of my favorite events of the week is my “Thursday Game Night” with a group of other dads in my area.

Every Thursday, we gather around the table, crack open a few beers, and dive into a variety of board games—sometimes working together, sometimes battling for bragging rights. It’s a tradition I look forward to all week, and it’s become a highlight not just for the games themselves, but for the camaraderie and laughter they bring.

I also have regular game nights (or weekends) with my family. Now that my oldest son is nine, my wife, my son, and I have started having our own competitive game nights at home. It’s a blast seeing him strategize, compete, and (occasionally) beat us at our own favorite games. These evenings have created memories, inside jokes, and a sense of connection that’s hard to replicate with a screen.

Why Game Nights Matter

There’s a lot more to board games than just fun. Regular game nights offer a host of benefits for both kids and adults:

● Strengthen Relationships: Sitting around a table, you get to know people in a way you just can’t over text or social media. You share stories, celebrate victories, and laugh at epic fails.

● Unplug Together: In a world full of screens, board games are a refreshing way to spend quality time face-to-face, without distractions.

● Build Skills: Board games teach critical thinking, strategy, teamwork, negotiation, and even math. They also help kids (and adults) practice patience, resilience, and good sportsmanship.

● Stress Relief: There’s something about focusing on a game that helps you leave your worries behind, at least for a while.

● Affordable Entertainment: After the initial investment, most games can be played over and over for years—making them one of the best entertainment values out there.

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How to Set Up a Game Night

Getting started is easier than you think. Here are a few tips:

● Pick a Regular Time: Consistency helps. Whether it’s every Thursday or the first Saturday of the month, put it on the calendar.

● Keep it Simple: Start with a few easy-to-learn games and snacks. Don’t stress about making it perfect.

● Mix Up the Games: Rotate between cooperative and competitive games to keep things interesting for everyone.

● Invite a Mix of People: Some of my favorite nights have included neighbors, kids, or friends who’d never played before.

● Borrow Before You Buy: If you’re not ready to invest in a bunch of games, check out your local library. Many libraries loan out board games just like books. I wrote more about this in my May email about libraries.

● Create a Device-Free Zone: Make the table a phone-free space for a few hours. You’ll be surprised how much more connected you feel.

My Favorite Board Games

I’ve played a lot of board games over the years, but these are the ones that keep hitting the table at our house and at game night:

● Catan: The classic “gateway” game. We play this way too much, but it never gets old. Trading, building, and the occasional sheep hoarding—what’s not to love?

● Splendor: A quick, elegant game of engine-building and gem collecting. Great for new players and still satisfying for veterans.

● Pandemic & Pandemic Legacy: Cooperative games where you work together to save the world from outbreaks. Legacy adds a campaign mode with evolving rules and story.

● Ticket to Ride: An absolute family favorite. Easy to learn, with just enough strategy and competition as you race to connect cities by train across the map. It’s a great game for all ages and always gets everyone involved.

● Gloomhaven: A deep, sprawling cooperative adventure with tons of strategy and story. It’s a commitment, but incredibly rewarding.

● Nemesis: Sci-fi horror at its best. You’re trying to survive on a doomed spaceship—sometimes with (and sometimes against) your friends.

● Qwixx: A fast, addictive dice game that’s easy to teach and hard to stop playing.

● Scythe: For those who love strategy, area control, and alternate-history worlds. The art and components are stunning.

● Smash Up: Mix and match quirky factions (my favorite killer combo are “Teddy Bears” and “Zombies”) for chaotic, hilarious battles.

● Carcassonne: A tile-laying classic that’s simple to learn but offers endless replayability.

● Azul: A beautifully designed abstract game about creating intricate tile mosaics. Simple, relaxing, and strangely competitive.

If you’re looking for a new hobby that brings people together, gets you away from screens, and sparks a ton of fun, I can’t recommend board games enough. And remember, if you don’t want to buy a bunch of games up front, your local library can be an amazing resource for borrowing and trying before you buy.

So—what’s your favorite board game, or what would you like to try next? Hit reply and let me know. Maybe I’ll add it to the Thursday night rotation!

Talk soon,

Steve

📺 Today’s Featured Video

The featured video, Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand – The Important Things in Life, is a classic lesson in time management. The story goes like this: If you fill a jar with sand and pebbles first, there’s no room left for the big rocks. But if you start with the big rocks—the truly important things—you’ll still find space for everything else.

For me, one of those “big rocks” is quality time with loved ones, and game nights are a perfect example. They’re not just fun—they’re a way to prioritize connection, laughter, and memories with the people who matter most. If you need a reminder to put first things first, give this video a watch—and maybe set aside some time for your own big rock this week.

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