Life is Just a Game: How to Master the 5 Core Areas of Life
Oct 21, 2023
By Will Moore
Introduction
Do you ever feel like life is too much to handle? Like youâre stuck in a puzzle with no solution, a maze with no exit, or a game with ever-changing rules. From reading self-help books to watching tons of motivational podcasts, you've tried everything to find your balance, but nothing seems to work.
We heard you. The world today is a crazy place, especially for young adults who have big dreams and goals. Youâre bombarded with information and choices that can make or break your future. You may ask yourself, whatâs the point of it all? How do you win this game of life?
But no worries, you are at the right place. In this blog, weâll show how life is just a game and how you can master the rules of the game to level up in five core areas of your life. Are you ready to press âstart'?
Life is Just a Game: Understanding the Game You're Playing
The Virtual Reality Game of Life
From the moment our childhood life begins, we are thrown into what feels like a virtual reality game with an expansive world, rules we didn't create, and goals we're not sure how to achieve. We start off with a random character, in a random location, with random initial skills.
The Young Adult Stage: Leveling Up Your Game Knowledge
When we become young adults, the stakes get higher, and the game of life becomes more intricate. The challenges start to pile up, making it crucial to understand the rules of this real-life game we're part of. Failing to do so often leads to feeling overwhelmed, and trapped in cycles of bad decisions and habits that aren't aligned with our true objectives. In other words, you find yourself stuck in suboptimal strategies, treating life like a monotonous chore rather than an engaging, winnable game.
How Past Decisions Drastically Shape Your Game
You know how choices in a game shape where you end up? It's the same in life because as we know life is just a game. The decisions you've made have put you where you are now. Maybe you went down a career path that's not right for you, or you're in relationships that don't serve you well. Or perhaps you've been focusing too much on making money and ignoring your emotional health. Even your mindsetâwhether it's filled with self-doubt or driven by fearâhas been shaped by your past choices.
Life is Just a Game: Is the Game Worth Winning?
It's easy to get lost in the complex mini-games of lifeâchasing money, social status, or other external validations. These are the most demanding tasks that often hijack our attention and resources. But have you ever paused to consider if these tasks align with your competing priorities and core values? No video game is fun when you're just grinding for in-game money or loot; the joy comes from playing properly, tackling challenges that you find genuinely engaging and rewarding.
A pro gamer always knows which quests are worth the effort and which are merely distractions. The key is to stay present minded and match your tasks with your core values. That's when you'll find that you're not merely surviving but thriving in the game.
Life is Like a Game: Playing the Right Game
So, is the game of life worth winning? That depends on if you're playing the right game. A game that aligns with your core values, that taps into your strengths and offers challenges you find stimulatingâthat's a game worth winning. And guess what? It's entirely within your power to choose or modify the game you're in.
Energy and Willpower in the Game
The Myth of Willpower
Some people think that willpower is the key to success in life. But hereâs the truth: relying on too much willpower is like running a marathon at full speedâyouâll burn out before you reach the end.
For example, imagine you want to lose weight by getting back on track with diet. You resist every temptation, from chocolate cake to pizza, using your willpower to say no. But how long can you keep this up? Sooner or later, youâll cave in and binge on junk food, undoing all your progress.
The Power of Forever Energy
Instead of forcing yourself to do things you donât enjoy, why not tap into what we call âforever energyâ? This is the natural motivation you get from aligning your actions with your core values.
For example, imagine you want to lose weight by finding a physical activity that you love. You enjoy hiking, biking, or dancing, so you make time for them every week. You donât need willpower to do these things; you do them because they make you happy. And as a bonus, you burn calories and improve your health.
Simply put, when youâre pursuing what truly matters to you, youâll find that you need less willpower and more of this innate energy. Your tasks no longer feel like burdens but are parts of a rewarding journey.
Strategies to Level Up: How to make the most of your energy and willpower reserves.
You wouldnât play a tough game without knowing the basic controls or the ways to earn extra points, right? In the same way, you need some strategies to handle lifeâs complexities. The right strategies at the right time can make you successful in any game. And they can make you successful in life too. So, letâs find out how you can enhance your abilities in the game of life by understanding the psychology of gamification.
Goal Setting: Having clear goals can boost your progress, just like your past decisions influence your game result. Pick the quests you want to accomplish and set attainable goals to keep on track.
Resource Management: Just as in any game, you have limited resourcesâtime, energy, and willpower. Be judicious in how you allocate them. Invest in areas that align with your core values and goals to achieve optimal outcomes.
Skill Building: In every stage of life, but especially in the young adult stage, acquiring new skills is akin to gaining new abilities or tools in a game. The more you have, the easier it becomes to tackle obstacles and advance.
Read More on Multitasking Skills
Making Habit-Building Fun Through Mini-Games
Fitness Tracker Challenges: Turn your daily step count or workout routine into a competition. Not only does it make exercise more engaging, but it's also ethically addictive. You should try our weekly habit tracker app for tracking your workout routine.
Language Learning Apps: Apps like Duolingo gamify the process of learning a new language, making it more fun and engaging.
Budgeting Apps: Some budgeting apps offer rewards and challenges to help you manage your finances better, turning the daunting task of budgeting into a fun mini-game.
Simplifying Complex Decisions with Complex Mini-Games
Decision Trees: Whenever faced with complex decisions, create a decision tree to break down the situation into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Pros and Cons List: For decisions that weigh heavily on you, list down the pros and cons, and attribute points to each. The option with the highest points could be your best move.
Scenario Planning: Develop different scenarios to anticipate possible outcomes. This process makes the decision-making process similar to strategizing in a complex mini-game.
By incorporating these strategies and treating life's tasks as mini-games, you not only make the process of habit formation more enjoyable but also increase your chances of success in this vast, intricate game of life. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the game analogy and explore ways to further refine your gameplay because after all life is just a game.
The Five Cores: Your Key to a Balanced Game
Navigating the game of life involves more than just executing a few strategies or mastering some mini-games. True successâand let's define success as becoming your most attractive self while fulfilling your financial ambitionsârequires a balanced approach. Just as you need to balance offense, defense, and resources in a complex VR game, you also need to balance five key aspects of your life because life is just a game.
Strategies for Each Core: Addressing Pain Points
Physical Well-being: Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep. Neglecting this core affects your energy levels and ability to tackle important tasks effectively.
Mental Health: Mind wellness is important therefore, incorporate mindfulness practices and make time for self-care. Many people feel the pain of being trapped in the wrong country or company because they don't prioritize their mental well-being.
Relationships: Be it with family, friends, or your significant other, invest time and energy into nurturing these relationships. Mismanagement here can lead to a feeling of isolation even when you're around people.
Career: Choose a path that resonates with your core values and aspirations. Pursue continuous learning and don't hesitate to shift if you find yourself in a role that doesn't align with your goals.
Financial Security: Budget wisely, save regularly, and invest smartly. Financial stress is often the result of poor planning and hasty decisions, which can deter you from playing the game of life properly.
Becoming Your Most Attractive Self and Fulfilling Financial Ambitions
Managing these cores isn't just about prevention; it's about optimization. When you're physically fit, mentally stronger, in meaningful relationships, excelling in a rewarding career, and financially secure, you naturally become your most attractive self. That's the only cheat code you need to reach and exceed your financial ambitions. It's like acing every game within the overarching game of life.
By addressing these cores, you're not just fixing pain points; you're also proactively setting yourself up for success in every dimension. It makes the game not just worth playing but worth winning. So, are you ready to level up, young player? Stay tuned as we explore more ways to master this multi-faceted game of life.
Life is Just a Game: Putting it into Practice
So far, we've laid the foundation for understanding that life is just a game with its own set of rules, strategies, and goals. Now comes the most critical partâputting these theories into practice.
Like a pro gamer investing heavily in the right skills and equipment, it's time to allocate your resources wisely to level up in life.
Investing Heavily in the Right Areas
Prioritize the Cores: Allocating your energy and resources into the five cores ensures a balanced and fulfilling life experience. Don't just throw your time into a single area and expect well-rounded results.
Time Management: Apply the 80/20 principleâfocus 80% of your time on the 20% of tasks that bring the most value. Many find this principle effective for managing competing priorities.
Continuous Learning: In an ever-changing game with dynamic environments, investing in continuous learning and skill development is crucial.
Leverage Technology for Structured Habits
Atomic Habits Apps: Various apps can help you form an "Atomic Habits"-like structure, guiding you through habit-forming processes in a scientifically backed manner.
Productivity Tools: Use digital calendars, to-do lists, or specialized software to keep track of your important tasks to balance your life effectively.
Learn from Successful Players
Winners have simply formed the habit of doing things losers donât like to do- Albert Gray
Success leaves clues. Look at winners in the game of life who've used these strategies effectively.
By studying these examples, you not only get proof of concept but also real-world guidance for your own journey. From managing your mental health to achieving financial ambitions, these lessons from successful players can serve as both inspiration and a roadmap.
And remember, youâre never stuck in one level, chapter, or role. Life is just a game where strategy and hard work can genuinely pay off. Are you ready to put your newfound knowledge into action?
The Road Ahead: Your Game in Progress
As we navigate the labyrinthine game that is life, it's crucial to remember that it's always a game in progress. Just like in any intricate video game, real life keeps evolving, presenting new challenges, levels, and rules. With that in mind, staying flexible and adapting is not just a strategy; it's a necessity.
Life is Just a Game: A Game in Progress
Continuous Adaptation: Your past decisions drastically shape the game board, but the dice are always in your hands. You can change strategies, adapt, and evolve.
Long-term Gameplay: The actions you take in your early adult stage can echo for many years. Think of it as setting the stage for endgame content, laying the groundwork for the chapters to come.
Unlock New Levels: Don't be afraid to diversify your skills and interests. Lifeâs complex mini-gamesâlike relationships, career growth, or personal hobbiesâoffer new challenges and joys.
Start Playing Properly Now
Immediate Action: The earlier you start playing properly, employing a balanced strategy based on your five cores, the better your late-game experience will be.
Review and Reset: Regularly take a step back to review your progress. Are you investing heavily in the right areas? Are you balancing your five cores? Make adjustments as needed.
The road ahead is long, and the game is far from over. By playing properly now, you're setting the stage for a fulfilling game experience later in life. The rules may change, and new challenges will appear, but if you've built a strong character and a balanced strategy, you'll be ready for whatever comes your way.
So, what's your next move in this grand game?
Ready to Level Up Your Life?
We've talked about treating life as a gameâa complex, beautiful game with its own set of rules and strategies. Whether you're stuck in the early game or unsure about your competing priorities, this is your wake-up call to reinventing yourself.
Don't wait another day. Discover where you stand in the 5 Core areas of happiness by taking our Core Life Evaluation Quiz. It's the first step in gamifying your habits and leveling up your life. Take control of your game now. Your future self will thank you.
Unlock your potential. Unleash your 'forever energy.' Become the player you were meant to be.