Food for thought: life sim games. Quite literally intended to simulate life, but often played to *escape* the reality of life. Then, what makes a the experience of a life simulation game desirable and the experience of real life undesirable? Even when a game feels like “hard work" or “a grind,” why do we continue to chase in-game metrics of success and achievement?
Gamification is a proven technique to increase engagement and retention. Thus far it has been applied to applications and digital products, but what if we applied it to life?
Life is not easy. It is incredibly complicated, much more so than a game. In fact, one of the most evidently appealing aspects of a game is that it seems simple, seems much more digestible and easy to handle than life itself.
But as unpredictable as life is, it is also very predictable most of the time. And there are ways to structure it…much like a video game.
Just as a game character, we learn new skills, get better at them, develop relationships, and uniquely “experience” the “game of life.” We have to manage our time, manage our resources, and form priorities.
There’s just….significantly more of them.
It is also our own responsibility to visualize our progress. Unlike a game where skill points, level bars, or content unlocks show us that we are improving, in life, it is often hard to tell. We become accustomed to our own growth— nobody tells us that we are doing a good job. Especially not our own selves.
Not everything in life can be simplified to a game, no. But we already see productivity tools such as habit trackers, study apps, and focus timers turning our lives into games— get a few points for watching a lesson, see the calendar fill up in a satisfying way as if we are claiming our daily reward, or gain a new virtual pet every time we spend an hour off of our phones.
And honestly, I don’t see the problem with that.
Many people seem to think that the epitome of achievement is to be motivated to grow, endure, and challenge yourself without need for external validation. To turn your internal self into a boundless fountain of motivation and drive, running on nothing but faith in yourself.
A wonderful dream, but idealistic to a discouraging degree. Who can actually achieve complete self-sufficiency and maintain a healthy relationship with their ego?
Validation is the best motivator. Internal validation is better than external validation. If you truly believe that you are making progress, in one way or another, you will become increasingly motivated to continue to do so, because you believe you can.
I feel most satisfied when I look back on my own progress. It is not a waste of time to celebrate your own successes. That is what drives us forwards. Yes, life is about continually becoming closer and closer to the person you want to be. But it is also about being proud of the person you are and comfortable with the person you were.
If a little simplification, quantification, and the feeling of “leveling up” every day can help you achieve that, why not?
Now for the actual implementation of this.
How do you make your life feel more like a game?
Track the skills you have and that you want to obtain. Much like a skill tree, your progress is always on display to remind you of all your achievement, and all that there is left to achieve.
Analyze your own productivity. Where are you wasting time? Where could you waste more time?
Create your character. Take time to think about your persona and what defines you. Create a strong visual identity for yourself. Be personally attached to it and love it wholeheartedly. Take your time picking out your clothes, your accessories— think about how you can stack your buffs so that it suits your play style. How do you accentuate your strengths and cover your weaknesses?
Have fun. If you want to spend the day running around the map doing nothing, do it. Take the time to admire the world and chat with other players. It won’t do you any harm.
Add to your friends list. You need friends, or you can’t beat bosses. And they need you, too.
Complete your quests…. And give yourself rewards for doing so.
Be thoughtful about where you spend your time. If you can only earn a few skill points in a day, which categories do you earn them for?
Be curious. Explore new territory when you can. You never know what new characters, items, or quests you might find.
I don’t think we should walk around thinking life is a game, because unlike games, there is no restart, no pause, no new save file. You only have one, so yeah, the stakes are high.
But, have fun with your life.
If it’s not fun, make it fun. If it doesn’t feel satisfying, make it feel more satisfying.
Because like it or not, you’re the main character.
