At the start of 2022 I was constantly overwhelmed.
I had a mountain of tasks that I couldn't get past no matter how hard I tried.
BUT then I gamified my life with points, narrative, and silly naming.
This gamification has led to me becoming much happier as I track what to do and what has been finished.
Plus I can see on my weekly leaderboard that I'm becoming better week over week.
But how do you get started with gamified productivity?
Gamified productivity takes the fun of game-like structures and combines it with the outcomes of a productive lifestyle.
Let's assume "productive lifestyle" means the person is acting on health tips for physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
For gamification we have to ask the super broad philosophical question "What is a game?"
Researchers define games as "activities usually involving skill, knowledge, or chance, where you follow rules and try to win or solve a puzzle".
However this definition doesn't take into account a lot of critical factors that go into making games resonate with people emotionally such as:
- Narrative / Theme / Setting
- Art / Visuals
- Rewards
To start with gamified productivity it'll help to take your favorite simple game loop and wrap it around how you complete your tasks or structure your week.
You can also add a strong narrative theme to help give yourself more internal motivation!
Here's an example.
In Pac-Man there's 3 main ways to get points:
- Small points from the dots on the path
- Big points from eating the big orbs then eating the ghosts
- Major points from fruit that's hard to eat
Now let's say points = priority but clearing the path = objective
If we add a narrative and simplify the points we have:
- Slimes | Small tasks | 10 pts
- Wolves | Big tasks | 100 pts
- Trolls | Major tasks | 1,000 pts
The labels and points can be added to your tasks to help set a priority PLUS start a weekly leaderboard with yourself!
I help a few others with their gamified productivity
So now I'm creating a group to do the same for anyone interested:
If you want to start prioritizing your goals and slaying your tasks make sure to check out the page above!