Self-Gamification is an Art and a Game

Self-Gamification is an art

Self-Gamification is an art of turning whatever we are up to into fun and engaging games for ourselves. It is the application of game design elements to our own lives.

It is also a self-help approach showing us how to be playful and gameful, and bringing anthropology, kaizen, and gamification-based methods together.

In Self-Gamification, we are both the designers and the players of our self-motivational games, which are the challenges, projects, and activities turned into games.

But wait a minute! It is an activity too. You need to be active in the design and play of the self-motivational games.

So it is also a game.

Self-Gamification is a game

I was surprised to have had this epiphany only recently, after gamifying my whole life for three years consistently, and parts of it for an even longer time.

But on the other hand and when looking at it anthropologically, it is not surprising at all. I wasn’t thinking that much about the game. I was playing it. And that is the only way to experience it as a game.

Only when I was challenged to play another game, the game of explaining how Self-Gamification works could I see it more clearly. That is a paradox. Which is why it makes sense since we humans are highly paradoxical beings.

Some time ago, I recalled how, when I was young, I rarely referred to what I was doing in my games or play as such. I was busy with some activities. I might have called them “games” or “play,” but I didn’t think of the terms when I was playing.

However, outside of the game’s or play’s realm, the gameful and playful activities seemed safe, and I could easily imagine doing them than a chore my mother had asked of me. Only when she shaped the idea of the chore as something enticing did I agree to give it a try to be entertaining. And I must admit that it did happen more often than not.

What’s the game I play here?

So, right now, I play another game. It is a writing game in which the goal is to describe the Self-Gamification game.

And you play the game of reading this article. As the designer of your project and activity games, you have the freedom to decide which rewards you will give yourself for that.

I will get a star or a donut. No, I’ll get a star for the writing game. Donuts are currently for physical activities and other well-being activities.

Not real donuts, of course, because I don’t tolerate most of their ingredients. But I have all the freedom to get the drawn and colored ones. I can draw and color them myself. By the way, one of those drawn donuts —

No, no, no, wait. I confused that again. For not eating any of the components a donut contains (or at least the most of them) and some other which I don’t tolerate either, I will get a drawn and colored cupcake.

Did you notice how engaging and “serious” in terms of game design it can become?! Not one full of tragedy and drama, but one full of “serious,” in other words, amazingly brilliant, a bit fuzzy, but immensely warm and clearly identifiable, fun experience.

Is that self-motivational game design waste of time? No. Because the only things it replaces are our worrying and grumbling thoughts that bridge one project or activity game from another. So why not replace them with something fun?

But now I am on the “bridge,” I am in the game, and I must say I have the most pleasure playing this writing game of exploring the Self-Gamification game.

What’s next?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this round of this writing and revising(for me) and reading (for you) game. Because I am off to another game now, which is called “a break.” Have fun playing yours, whatever it might be. And don’t forget to reward yourself for playing it. If you don’t play or reward yourself, then don’t forget to reward your procrastinating self for winning the round. :D

I hope you enjoyed this goofy, little article. To find out more about Self-Gamification, check out https://www.victoriaichizlibartels.com/self-gamification/.