Gamify. It’s the new buzzword in online circles. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically adapting game design elements and principles into something that isn’t necessarily game related. Do we need to be that entertained? Even normal tasks must be gamified? 🙂
If you’re anything like me, some goals can seem overly daunting. Others can be simply mundane. Using gamification can help break those daunting objectives into something more manageable and turn those everyday tasks into something a bit more fun.
We tend to pursue what we enjoy, right? For some, the act of setting and maintaining/pursuing goals can be fun in and of iteslef. For others, it can seem overly difficult. So, I thought I’d try to offer some ways that you could make the process more fun.
SET UP YOUR SYSTEM
- View your goal-achieving as a game. I tend to take things too seriously. Although I love to have fun, there’s some things that can really stress me out. Goals should not be one of those. They should be things we enjoy doing and achieving. Yes, they will be challenging, but we should like the ones we attempt to complete. Think about setting up your future plans as a game. Games typically have a way to accumulate points, levels when you get to certain objectives, and prizes you achieve as you win.
- Create a point system for your goals. Think about the kind and amount of points you want to assign to each goal. Short-term goals would receive fewer points. Long-term or bigger goals would receive more points. Once you hit a certain number, then you stop and celebrate (see below.)
- Leveling up. As you achieve certain goals, you make the game harder. Each time you accumulate a set amount of points, you get to level up. When you improve and level up, the “prizes” get bigger and the levels get more challenging (more points required to Level Up.) Here’s an idea for how to establish the levels and points:
- Level 1 (0 – 99 points) – Goal Starter
- Level 2 (1000 – 1199 pts.) – Goal Getter
- Level 3 (1200 – 1499 pts.) – Goal Commander
- Level 4 (1500 – 1999 pts.) – Goal Master
- Daily tasks = 1-2 points
- 2-week goals = 10 points on completion
- 30 day goals = 25 points on completion
- 90-day goals = 100 points on completion
SPECIFY THE STAKES
- Raise the bar. There’s no fun in achieving something easy or within your comfort zone. Where’s the fun in that? Make sure you set goals that are risky and outside your comfort zone.You might need to rethink how you set your goals.
- Decide what you will risk. I’m not talking about gambling here, but how can you make your goals riskier? How will you push yourself outside of your comfort zone to achieve something that is difficult?
- Determine what the rewards will be. The greater the risk and challenge, the greater the reward needs to be. It doesn’t have to be a monetary reward, but it can be. Reward yourself with extra time with your wife or kids, for example. Or reward yourself with a personal day to do something you enjoy. Decide what you will earn for each level. The more you Level Up, the more the reward should be.
CELEBRATE YOURÂ SUCCESS
This is something that many people forget when setting goals. You need to celebrate your wins – big and small. Some people may celebrate their big successes, but the small milestones are just as important.
- Map out WHEN you’ll celebrate. At what point of achievement will you celebrate? Again, you could set a certain level of points where you’ll celebrate once you hit it. Or, you could celebrate at the completion of each goal. Be careful that you don’t wait too long or make these celebration points too difficult to achieve. Plus, you can always adjust your system as you go if necessary.
- Line up HOW you’ll celebrate. Before you start your goals, I would determine how you will celebrate the completion of each “level” or points, whatever you’ve already decided. Then, stick to it. It’s easy to blow past your milestones and postpone the celebration. But, it’s important for your morale to take time and acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. Again, it doesn’t have to cost money, and it doesn’t have to be something grand. The importance is that you take time to recognize your wins.
SELECT YOUR SUPPORT CREW
Alright, this is where it could really get fun and motivating, especially if you have a team. If not, encourage your friends to join in the fun.
- Challenge each other. Gamifying your goals can be fun on your own, but what if you got a few friends involved? Your goals don’t have to be the same, and you don’t even have to have the same system. The point is to encourage each other and help each other achieve more.
- Keep each other accountable. There’s a lot of accountability in telling someone else what you want to accomplish. Form a Facebook Group for your team to stay connected. You and others can post when goals have been achieved, and you can encourage and support each other when the going gets tough.
- Celebrate wins together. Whether you do this as an online group or in person, make sure to recognize people when they hit their goals. Sometimes it’s easier to celebrate someone else’s achievements than our own. It’s also motivating when we see others accomplishing their goals. We can get an extra push of motivation.
However you decide to set goals for the new year, be sure that they are goals that you really want to achieve and line up with your vision for your life’s direction. Life is too short to pursue things that don’t really matter. Take some time before the beginning of next year and work on your goals – whether you choose to gamify them or not.
How will you make your goals more engaging and fun this next year? If you choose to gamify your goals – let me know. I’d love to see what you create.Â