Remember 'That's My Car'? Why This Simple Game Is Perfect for Ambitious Professionals
Childhood games like 'That's My Car' are powerful mindfulness tools for professionals over 40. Rediscover play to relieve stress and find presence.
Rediscovering Play: Why Ambitious Professionals Need More Whimsy
Presence isn't a retreat — it's just looking up.
You're sitting in the backseat of an Uber, tethered to your phone as your inbox swells and your mind races through a mental checklist of upcoming meetings. Suddenly, a bright red vintage Mustang rolls by, and a dormant frequency flickers to life. Childhood games like "That's My Car" weren't designed to be mindfulness exercises, but that's exactly what they were. For a split second, you aren't a VP or a founder; you're eight years old, claiming the road as your own personal playground. As we explore lifestyle design, we often overlook the most potent tool for presence: simple, unfiltered play.
Twenty minutes of pure presence — no inbox, no agenda, just wonder.
Sometimes the most mindful moment happens when you least expect it.
The Day I Caught Myself Playing Again
You mastered presence before you were ten. It's time to remember.
I never truly stopped playing "That's My Car." Recently, while riding shotgun on a road trip, a stunning red Corvette ZR1 blasted past us. Before I could censor the impulse, I muttered, "That's my car." My friend and I immediately fell into a state of competitive, childlike wonder, scanning the horizon for the next rare marvel. In those twenty minutes, the crushing weight of professional obligations vanished. We weren't optimizing our time; we were simply, intensely present. That spontaneous, joyful interaction was a masterclass in grounding—an essential practice for any mindfulness journey.
The Main Lesson: Playfulness Is a Gateway to Presence
Here's what I've come to understand: playfulness isn't childish. It's a strategic tool.
As professionals over 40, we've spent decades optimizing ourselves for efficiency. Somewhere along the way, we traded wonder for workflow, and our mental health has suffered. Focusing on the present—the colors, the sounds, the movement of the street—immediately defuses a cortisol spike. You don't need a costly meditation app to center yourself; you need to rediscover how to notice the world around you.
Childhood games like "That's My Car" were inherently designed to pull us into the "now." They made the mundane magical, giving us a reason to look outward rather than inward at our own stress.
Twenty minutes of pure presence — no inbox, no agenda, just wonder.
For professionals over 40, this is non-negotiable. Burnout feels like a structural collapse, but the solution isn't another expensive retreat. Sometimes, you just need to remember how to be "unserious" in a world that demands constant gravity.
Action Steps: How to Bring "That's My Car" Back Into Your Life
You don't need a road trip to integrate this playful mindfulness. Here's how to weave it into your daily routine:
- Play on your commute. Whether you're on a train or in a car, claim a vehicle—any vehicle—as yours. The point isn't the game; it's that for a few minutes, you're observing the world instead of your screen.
- Set a "noticing trigger." Use your coffee or your walk to the office as a cue to play a micro-game. Count the shoes you see or the dogs that pass by. It sounds absurd, which is exactly why it breaks a stress spiral.
- Do it with someone. Playfulness is contagious. By sharing the game, you model for your colleagues and family that adults don't have to abandon their humanity to be successful.
- Use it as a stress reset. When your jaw clenches, pause and identify three things in your environment. This simple shift in focus can short-circuit anxiety faster than a deep-breathing exercise.
- Keep a "joy jar." Jot down one playful moment from your day. It creates a physical record of what life feels like when you're actually living it.
- Dream again. Our adult responsibilities often suffocate our aspirations. "That's My Car" keeps those dreams alive by forcing us to visualize possibilities rather than problems.
Presence isn't a retreat — it's just looking up.
The NCURAG Connection: Designing a Life Worth Living
At NCURAG, we define lifestyle design as creating a life that feels good to live in, not just one that looks impressive on paper. That requires building space for the ridiculous and the un-optimizable. "That's My Car" is a tiny, always-available doorway into that space.
Whether you're redesigning your career or planning your next chapter, it all starts with the ability to be present. You mastered this before you were ten; you just let the skill go dormant.
Your Turn: What Game Brings You Back?
This week, I challenge you to visit a local dealership and sit behind the wheel of a "dream car." Stretch your mind without the constraints of your current budget. You need to play this game precisely because you think you "can't afford" to.
Childhood games are tools hiding in plain sight. They are reminders that joy doesn't require a plan—only a willingness to pay attention. What game brings you back to center? Share your memories in the comments.
Ready to design your best life? Join our community of professionals redefining what's possible after 40.
