Issue#2

Hey all,

last week I came across something fun: Gamification.

If you are like me, you most probably have spent some decent hours playing video games. They’re fun and can be quite addictive:
Just one more item to collect, the next level to reach or that fancy character to unlock.

In other words: It’s the little rewards along with small spikes of dopamine we're enjoying when we finally get to finish the next quest on the road to the villain that makes us want to keep playing.

Video games are designed for constant dopamine release with some essential elements. And since most video games comprise some sort of role play, which often resample our lives pretty well - why not try to implement some of its elements in our lives to make it more fun?

There are 5 elements:

1) The mission

Having a clear objective you are working towards is key. Break it down into many manageable quests to make it more appealing.

2) The progress bar

Make your progress visible: You need to be aware that you are - even gradually - moving closer to completing something. Tracking your achievements or daily activities is helpful.
Write your progress down. If you can, visualize your it to keep the dopamine releasing!

3) The level-up rewards

Rewards are satisfying, but not all are expedient.
Find a reward that rewards you back, or at least make sure it doesn't sabotage your progress.

If your goal is losing 20 pounds, a cheat day right around the 10-pound mark might not be the best idea. Instead, why not spoil yourself with nice new gym clothes?
This rewards you back into continuing progress just like a new and stronger weapon would on the road to defeating the final boss

Personally, I found this tip most useful.

4) The novelty in the play-through

If we want to stick to something long-term, it helps if we incorporate something new into our play-through.
Routines are great. They help us move closer to our goals. But repeating the same thing over and over gets boring. Therefore it is good to have some variation within a routine like new exercises or new study locations to make yourself look forward to something novel.

5) The growing hero

Challenge yourself by gradually increasing the difficulty. Divide and conquer the challenge: Break the issue into pieces, starting with the easiest one. This helps overcome the difficulty and gradually builds up momentum.

Time pressure for example is a good tool to ramp up the difficulty. Try to match the difficulty to your current skill level.
Those are the key elements that pull us into games and make it easy to forget the time playing.

I think tasks, projects and work can always be more fun. I will be using some of the above to make stuff more enjoyable and start tackling challenges with a more playful mindset.

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Have an awesome week everyone!

Florian