Games happens because rewards spike our dopamine levels, which energises us and gives us a feel-good aura.

If you’ve ever played a good video game, chances are you spent a lot of time on it.

Whether you’re shooting them up, messing around with your in-game character or planning a strategy to defeat your enemies, games bring a lot of joy. However, as we grow up, we eventually abandon games in favour of more productive activities.

As we move away from games and concern ourselves with more solemn matters, we inevitably lose our sense of wonderment and ability to take ourselves less seriously.

Life doesn’t have to be stale. We can confront reality the same way as we do in the virtual world. In fact, we live better when we approach life like a game

Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street

Have you ever been defeated in a game and declared that it was the end of you? Probably not. That would be absurd

As we grow up and become attuned to social norms and conventions, we develop a fear of failure

fear of failure becomes etched into us; some regrettably never overcome this fear altogether and spend the duration of their time on earth without having lived at all.

We see failure as a mortal blow instead of a scar that reminds us of the mistakes we’ve made.

we live timidly and are afraid to take risks and explore new beginnings. The fear of failure becomes crippling.

Gamers rarely give up and lose their motivation when they fail at a mission.

urgent optimism

Why the difference in the manner in which we approach life and gaming?

True of life — we can always recover after each defeat.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

While the stakes are certainly higher in reality than in the virtual world, the optimal strategy is still the one we use in games. All the more reason we should approach life without fear of failure.

Games often come with fixed objectives.

objective gaming

Games are interesting because they provide a narrative that adds context and meaning to our lives.

we are the protagonist in the game of life.

Without a quest, there is no goal to accomplish, and by extension no possible sense of fulfilment.

The main reason people are addicted to games is because they find more purpose in the virtual world than in reality.

average young person today in a country with a strong gaming culture will have spent more than 10,000 hours playing online games by the age of 21.

We can keep going if we have a purpose that we are deeply committed to.

What would our lives look like if we created a quest for ourselves?

10,000 hours of practice is what you need to master your craft. That is what it takes to ascend to the top of your field.

Children and adolescents can put hours grinding endlessly in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), exhibiting a kind of discipline that even the strictest of adults must reluctantly revere.

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion

With purpose naturally comes productivity.

When you take that approach in gaming towards that of life, you will undoubtedly achieve more.

Life rewards execution, not planning and thinking.

Games often provide rewards in the form of new gear or content after the completion of each objective.This not only advances the game’s storyline, but it also provides motivation for the individual to carry on towards the next mission.

We can recreate this environment by tracking and celebrating our small wins. This is already seen in the fitness industry, which has spawned several mobile applications that are devoted to rewarding workouts by awarding points or even hard cold cash.

While there is concern that many individuals end up doing things for the sake of rewards and lose sight of why they first started, they remain a viable option as extrinsic motivation.

Every next level of your life will demand a different you

Well-designed games will have scenarios that are more challenging than the previous one. As users gain experience and proficiency with game mechanics and strategies, they are called upon to take on tasks that require them to reinvent themselves.

It is this process of constant renewal that allows us to grow quickly. We are forced to adapt to new circumstances in games. Consequently, this adaptation grants us newfound abilities and skill-sets that continue to serve us in the long run and carry over to other endeavours.

Biologically, we grow stronger by adapting to new demands on our body. It’s the main mechanism for muscular hypertrophy. Lifting heavier weights forces us to exert ourselves, creating micro-tears in our muscles.

To cope with this new stress, our body not only repairs but also strengthens itself. The longer the time under tension, the quicker the growth.

Putting ourselves out there in discomfort can be a painful thing to do, but it is by far the quickest way to achieve rapid personal growth.

When thrown into the deep end of the pool and forced to swim or sink, you’ll learn to tread water at the very least.

If you are looking to level up in life, the fastest way is to ensure that every challenge is at the edge of your comfort zone, if not beyond it.

What is different between top players in the game and top people in life such as Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett?

Deliberately seek out people who are more intelligent, knowledgeable and capable than you. These people will serve as your mentors. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that you are always in the company of more accomplished people — you can only benefit from them.

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with

It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.

We have plenty of complaints in life. It seems the odds are never stacked in our favour.

Nothing goes the way we want. A quick Google search lists some of the most common complaints people have: