Have you ever known what you needed to do, but were just having a tough time getting started? Or maybe once you got started, you had a tough time staying focused on the task at hand? One approach that might be helpful in these situations is gamifying the process—adding some competitive elements and rewards into the mix. These elements, even if small, can often help provide motivation for both getting started and sticking with it.
Perhaps it’s seeing how much can be done in a set amount of time. Or giving yourself a reward for sticking with a certain habit for a certain number of days. Or doing these things within the context of a friendly competition with a friend. I’ve seen this work both with my kids—“Let’s see who can clean up their toys the fastest”—and with me.
It seems like the concept is getting more and more popular. Recently I’ve seen game elements baked into things like exercise apps and language learning software. Even the app I use to track my to-do lists has a built in system that gives users points based on the number of tasks they complete and the number of days in a row they do so.
Of course, making a game of things we need to do isn’t necessary, but it definitely doesn’t hurt. Most of us like games, so having the elements of competition and rewards often has a psychological effect that helps us stay motivated. The competitive element—even if it’s just with ourselves— can give us that extra nudge towards taking action.
So if there’s something you know you need to do, or make a habit of, see if there’s some way to gamify the process. For many of us, doing so will only help.