Being an avid gamer myself (some of you may know me from my StarCraft days, others from my CounterStrike), turning our pursuit of nearly any goal into a game makes it several times easier to commit and keep consistent progress towards it.
For some of you, I can drive this point home by asking you: “why do you think it’s so easy to procrastinate from your work with a video game?”
The basic premise of a game is that there is a starting point and a goal you are expected to reach. Along the way from A to B, you’re given micro rewards to keep you engaged and motivated to achieve that ultimate goal. Thus, gamification is taking that same feedback loop and applying it to anything that’s not a game: your fitness goals, your career goals, etc.
To do this, set periodic goals that take you from where you are now to where you want to be. Each goal, when achieved, should award you something you truly enjoy.
Perhaps when you reach X, you treat yourself to your favorite meal. Or, when you hit Y, you buy yourself that LEGO set you’ve been eyeing.
When you gamify your pursuits properly, your subconscious will forget that it’s actually doing work and instead reframe it into you playing a game (which in turn, makes it easier to reinforce good habits and keep progressing to your main objective).
If you want to learn more, Google “gamify your life” to find any number of guides to the concept; find the author that resonates with you and give gamification a whirl. I promise, it’ll make life many times easier in the long run.
Build good habits by turning it into a game.