This sounds like a silly post... but I am completely serious here.
I've been experimenting with "gamefying" my life through identifying goals (quests) and rewards (loot). I'd like some of your input!
Pick the right loot
In a video game, the reward for the low-level quest typically helps you out with your future quests... this is hard to translate into real life.
Most people get their loot first, and then attempt their quest... for example, getting lots of running gear before they start a couch-to-5k plan, then running out of motivation.
In order to gamefy it, it should be the other way around. Using the running example, you would set ever-increasing goals with ever-better rewards, such as getting a pedometer once you can jog half the 5k, and getting running shoes for competing in a 5k event. You'd look forward to each harder step being a little easier due to the rewards.
Pick the right goals
The trick here is to break up your main goals into lots of little ones.
Using the running example again, you could set goals of running distances, or faster paces, or consistency, or volume, or socialization/competition.
The Mermaid Plan
I'm having a hard time breaking it up into appropriate goals or coming up with more loot that helps further my swimming goals, so I am definitely open to suggestions. I will probably have 1-2 hours 3x/week to practice in our slightly solar-heated backyard saltwater pool, and would like to complete it within 1 summer.
140 lengths of the pool is 1650 yards, or 1 swimming mile (1760 yards or 150 laps is a real mile, but we'll go with an official swimming mile). My brother was a professional swimmer in college, and he says a good final summer goal for me would be to do 1 mile in a day, broken up into bits. Let's just go crazy and make it 2 miles in a day and see what happens!
Here are my tentative mini-quests and rewards:
I suppose I could change the goals from distance to speed, or to time. I'm not sure what is really possible as a noob. Any suggestions?
But wait, there's more!!
May is a long time to wait to start my quest for gills, and there are other quests currently in development.
Jedi Training: Feats of yoga, flexibility, and bodyweight fitness. I have already begun this questline and am following a routine, but I have a freaking long way to go. The epic loot will be making a Jedi robe for myself* (to match Ryan's) and reworking my Jedi historian costume, and probably expanding the lightsaber collection. The ultimate reward could POSSIBLY be to get flesh-colored lekku (the head-tails for a Twi'lek) if I can find/make some that look good but don't involve touching latex.
Centaur Training: Travel by foot (hiking, milestones based on steps per month, etc). Because if you have 4 feet, you go twice as many steps... get it?? Hahaha, I crack myself up. But I mostly just want a bow and arrows (centaur-related via mythology) to be my final reward, plus my hiking boots need to be replaced before winter because of a hole on the side. I am really looking forward to teaching Torin archery* one day.
*These 5 things are on my bucket list. <3
I've been experimenting with "gamefying" my life through identifying goals (quests) and rewards (loot). I'd like some of your input!
Pick the right loot
In a video game, the reward for the low-level quest typically helps you out with your future quests... this is hard to translate into real life.
Most people get their loot first, and then attempt their quest... for example, getting lots of running gear before they start a couch-to-5k plan, then running out of motivation.
In order to gamefy it, it should be the other way around. Using the running example, you would set ever-increasing goals with ever-better rewards, such as getting a pedometer once you can jog half the 5k, and getting running shoes for competing in a 5k event. You'd look forward to each harder step being a little easier due to the rewards.
Pick the right goals
The trick here is to break up your main goals into lots of little ones.
Using the running example again, you could set goals of running distances, or faster paces, or consistency, or volume, or socialization/competition.
The Mermaid Plan
I'm having a hard time breaking it up into appropriate goals or coming up with more loot that helps further my swimming goals, so I am definitely open to suggestions. I will probably have 1-2 hours 3x/week to practice in our slightly solar-heated backyard saltwater pool, and would like to complete it within 1 summer.
140 lengths of the pool is 1650 yards, or 1 swimming mile (1760 yards or 150 laps is a real mile, but we'll go with an official swimming mile). My brother was a professional swimmer in college, and he says a good final summer goal for me would be to do 1 mile in a day, broken up into bits. Let's just go crazy and make it 2 miles in a day and see what happens!
Here are my tentative mini-quests and rewards:
- Be freakin' brave about the cold and start swimming May 1st. Reward: get some more henna for my hair, and see how red I can go (hey, hair care is important when chlorine is involved).
- Swim 1/2 mile (70 laps) in 1 day. Reward: get a swim lap counter (currently use pennies and cups, it's a pain because it prevents me from entering the zen of a constant flow).
- Swim 1/2 mile (70 laps) without stopping. Reward: get out the monofin for a few minutes during each future swim, for fun!
- Swim 1 mile (140 laps) in a day. Reward: plan a trip to a lake.
- Swim in a lake. Reward: plan a trip to the ocean, somewhere low-danger.
- Swim in the ocean for the first time ever!* Reward: get new flattering bathing suit.
- Swim 1.5 miles (210 laps) in a day, and become comfy in bathing suit in public. Reward: go snorkeling.* (already have snorkel supplies, never really used 'em!)
- Swim 2 miles (280 laps) in a day, in addition to all previous quests. Reward: make or buy a functional mermaid tail.
- Swim 1/2 mile (70 laps) in mermaid tail in one day, to become fully comfortable in tail. Reward: plan another trip to the same lake from quest #5.
- Swim in lake in mermaid tail,* don't get eaten by shark. Reward: Congratulations, you have become a mermaid!
 |
| Ryan photoshopped my face onto the Waterhouse mermaid years ago, but hey, now I actually have the same hair. |
I suppose I could change the goals from distance to speed, or to time. I'm not sure what is really possible as a noob. Any suggestions?
But wait, there's more!!
May is a long time to wait to start my quest for gills, and there are other quests currently in development.
Jedi Training: Feats of yoga, flexibility, and bodyweight fitness. I have already begun this questline and am following a routine, but I have a freaking long way to go. The epic loot will be making a Jedi robe for myself* (to match Ryan's) and reworking my Jedi historian costume, and probably expanding the lightsaber collection. The ultimate reward could POSSIBLY be to get flesh-colored lekku (the head-tails for a Twi'lek) if I can find/make some that look good but don't involve touching latex.
Centaur Training: Travel by foot (hiking, milestones based on steps per month, etc). Because if you have 4 feet, you go twice as many steps... get it?? Hahaha, I crack myself up. But I mostly just want a bow and arrows (centaur-related via mythology) to be my final reward, plus my hiking boots need to be replaced before winter because of a hole on the side. I am really looking forward to teaching Torin archery* one day.
*These 5 things are on my bucket list. <3
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