If you haven’t heard about the popular game Angry Birds, then you’re missing out on hours of mindlessly entertaining fun. The free Facebook game, Angry Birds Friends, was voted the most popular game of 2012 thus far.

The aim of the game is to shoot different types of birds at the “pigs”, who have stolen the bird’s eggs and plan to destroy them. But how does this relate to travel you wonder? Keep reading to find out …

1. Set Goals and Get Creative

When you first start an Angry Birds level, you shouldn’t just start firing haphazardly. You should check to see what obstacles are in your way, and where all the piggies are hiding. Then you should assess which birds you have, and what they’ll be most effective at destroying. Changing your approach when you get stuck is the key to success, and you should always be aware of your goals.

Before travelling, you need to have goals in mind. Plan a budget for your holiday, raise the money for your trip, and organise your transport and accommodation. When you break your goals into bite-sized chunks, everything becomes much easier to manage. As in Angry Birds, if you start to hit a brick wall, change your thinking and get creative.

2. Patience is key

In Angry Birds, every time you miss a well-aimed shot you feel this desperate need to do it over, and over, and over until you get it right, just to wipe the smirk off of the pigs’ faces.

When you travel, you’re bound to start feeling uptight at some point. It’s not planned, it’s never intentional, but it will happen. You could be standing on an overcrowded train in India, or have people jostling you in the markets at China, and you suddenly turn into the Hulk with no real provocation.

In both situations, becoming more frustrated only leads to trouble down the line and sends you down an emotional roller-coaster. Take a deep breath, assess the situation, and act accordingly … remembering that violence is not recommended outside of the game.

3. Friends are invaluable

In Angry Birds, friends give you gifts of bonus power-ups to help you level up faster, they send you tips on how to pass a difficult level, and they’re also there to challenge you to improve your score. Before breaking your beloved iPad against the wall, remember that you can always ask your friends for help.

When you travel to a far-away friend’s city, they’ll take time off and show you the most beautiful attractions, they’ll advise you on which restaurants serve the best cuisine, and give you a list of activities that won’t cost a fortune. In short, they’re there to support you.

4. Practice makes perfect

In the game you may get lucky on some levels and hit every target, with birds to spare. At other times you’ll take aim and fire, and miss every target, and fail to make a dent in the pig’s defences.  The trick is to relax completely, and keep at it. You may feel stupid, you will get angry, but you’ll eventually land the perfect shot.

In life, nothing is gained without some measure of effort, be it learning a new language for your trip, perfecting your packing technique, or creating your itinerary.  Continual practice will make you feel more confident, and you’ll drastically improve provided you keep at it. Remember, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again”.

5.  It’s not the destination, it’s the journey

In Angry Birds we often forget, in our haste to level up and catch up with those high scorers, to take the time to appreciate the effort that’s gone into creating the level. Sure it’s frustrating when you’re stuck for ages, but at the end of the day you’ll be much better at angles.

In life you get excited when it’s time for that long-anticipated holiday. You’ve planned everything, you’re packed up, and now your head is in the clouds as you travel to your destination. However, we often forget that the journey is just as important as the destination. Who knows, the woman you meet at the airport could become one of your closest friends; or that scenic photograph you’ve taken could win you a prize. Remember to appreciate the little things along the way, as it makes your arrival that much more exciting.

Let us know what you’ve learned from playing Angry Birds!