RPG It ‘Til You Make It

I have a tactic that keeps me on task no matter how long, dreadful, and boring it is but you have to be open minded. This method has even got me through last-minute exam-cramming and nine hour shifts. 

What I do is I fully trick my brain into thinking I’m “side-questing.” I convince myself that I’m in an RPG (Role-Playing Game) or one of those town or business building games in order to get tasks done. 

I imagine that each time-consuming or unpleasant task I do is part of a game in order to gain “XP” (experience) or rewards. How I do this is if I’m called into a shift I mentally refuse to work, I’ll grab a sweet-treat after or treat my pay cheque as the XP gained from attending my shift. 

My method doesn’t even stop at side-questing. Sometimes, I view routines as “leveling up.” The ones I constantly do are the ones categorized as this. I attend class religiously as I see this as leveling up my educational trait. Another example comes from a in high school, when I did pom-cheer. I really wanted to be the captain so to level-up I forced myself to come early and stay later after practice, focusing on my dance and flexibility. By the time I was sixteen I was a coach for a team and by seventeen, I was captain of my high school pom team. Hopefully that makes as much sense to you as it does to me. 

During late nights where I lay awake with no ounce of fatigue in my system, I view my body as a system update. Forcing myself to sleep literally reboots my system in order to continue playing.

I know this is a weird habit and you’re probably lost in my thought process but it really does help me stay on top of things. If I don’t romanticize my life or find a fun way to live, it truly affects my motivation and productivity. 

For example before I adapted this mindset I struggled a lot with brushing my teeth as a kid. If it weren’t for my dad telling me about the tooth fairy also checking clean teeth and not just fallen baby teeth, I would’ve had pretty gross dental hygiene. My dad told me that the tooth fairy would only grant me money when my tooth fell out, if said tooth was white and shiny. 

I strived to get my teeth so white and shiny that at my next appointment with my dentist, he said I was over-brushing. I approached that experience like one of those dress-up games where you give a girl a makeover, and when I grew up, self-care day felt like a spa makeover. 

Honestly, growing up an iPad kid, I’ve had this mindset for years and look where it’s got me! I’m a writer for Her Campus with the potential to graduate my Bachelor’s Degree at Queen’s University early. But more importantly, this mindset not only helped me get through pits of unmotivational phases but taught me the importance of doing things for me. I learnt how to set goals and expectations for myself without burning out. What I love about this method most is that pouring my effort and energy into something I dread in order to work on myself and further my happiness and growth as a person, is just a form of self-love. 

• #productivity
• college
• gaming
• rpg