Supercharge Your Personal Growth “One Step” at a Time

Borrow this video game concept to level up your life.

Damn you Halo and your soon-to-be-released TV series…

Until last week I hadn’t played a lick of Halo since its 3rd release way back in the late 2000s. I was never very good at the game, but the nostalgia of playing with my buddies still holds strong.

Which brings me to last week.

With some extra free time, I decided to dust off the Xbox One, purchase Game Pass Ultimate, and download the latest iteration — Halo Infinite.

In short, I spent more time waiting for the game to download and install than I have spent actually playing the game. Apparently, I’ve gone from not very good to downright awful over the past decade.

So I did what any logical gamer would do, I turned to a game I’m slightly better at instead — Rocket League.

Before I lose your interest entirely, even non-gamers can apply concepts from video games to their personal growth journey by using the stepwise formula from beginner to mastery they utilize.

But first you must understand skill-based matchmaking

Video games such as Halo, Rocket League, Call of Duty, and Fortnite use a system called skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM for short.

As Joe Craven of Dexerto defines:

Skill-based matchmaking refers to how a game decides which players to put into your lobby. When you search for a lobby in any video game, it uses a very complex algorithm to find other players and fill up your lobby — this is called matchmaking.

Put simply, video games automatically place you in a match with other like-skilled players, leveling the playing field for all competitors.

While these systems are sometimes knocked for their inconsistencies, they are essential to player satisfaction. Without SBMMs, newbies would be paired with elite players, making the game exceptionally frustrating for everyone.

SBMMs also play another important role: player development.

When you’re playing with other like-skilled players, some are going to be one step behind you, while others will be one step ahead. The difference is enough to let better players stand out while weaker ones continue to learn the ropes.

The standouts ultimately “rank up,” being automatically moved to higher levels of competition by the game’s SBMM algorithm.

In contrast, weaker players remain at their current level or are even bumped down a level in order to better hone their skills.

This stepwise system can be pulled from video games and applied to our lives, fueling our personal growth and development pursuits.

Level up in life by looking one step ahead

When we begin a new pursuit (take writing as an example), it’s natural for us to admire those who inspired our journey.

Admiring the expert is fine and well until admiration turns into discouragement.

Take Tim Denning as an example. On one hand you can admire his voice, style, and influence. On the other, you may become discouraged by his massive following and success.

You begin to think:

How the heck am I going to become the next Tim Denning…?

Tim Denning can be your goal, but he should not be your focus.

Instead, your focus should be on those immediately in front of and behind you. Like skill-based matchmaking, those who you’re competing with right now.

Say you just cracked 100 Medium followers and are officially part of the MPP (congrats!). Instead of thinking, “237K here I come!” look to a writer you admire with 500 followers.

That writer with 500 followers is likely more skilled than you in some areas, and those are areas of growth you can capitalize on. Use the 500 follower writer as your ticket to leveling up.

Soon, 500 followers will turn into 1000.

1000 into 2500.

So on and so forth.

To get to Tim Denning’s level you need to first get to the next level, and that’s best achieved by playing in the ballpark you can currently access.

Don’t forget where you came from

So you’ve earned 500 followers(congrats again!).

Referred memberships are trickling in, and your stats are steadily improving month-over-month.

As you pursue 1000 followers it would be easy to forget where you came from.

But you absolutely shouldn’t, unless you like missing out on opportunities to enhance your growth.

As you grow in your pursuit, there is another wave of players immediately behind you. They are clamoring for the skillset you have, even if those skills now feel second nature to you.

Sticking with Medium, reaching back to help those who are trying to level up comes with a few key benefits.

1. Learn by teaching

Even if you’re only one step ahead, taking the time to teach those who are a step behind will only further your development.

Research shows that learning by teaching improves the long-lasting understanding of the material at hand for students. The same can be applied to our adult pursuits as we reach back to help others.

Practicing this will supercharge your skill acquisition, helping you level up at an enhanced rate.

2. Learn from those you’re teaching

Have you ever been humbled by a child? Such as when you’re teaching them something and they, seemingly out of the blue, teach you something about the subject at hand?

The same can occur when you’re giving back to those who are one step behind you.

Just because someone isn’t at the overall level you’re at, doesn’t mean they can’t teach you a thing or two. Be open-minded and learn from those who are interested in learning from you.

3. Grow your following

Think about those you follow and how you genuinely appreciate it when they pour knowledge into you. You become their devout follower and in turn, help fuel their growth and development. The same can apply to you.

When you take the time to help those who are one step behind you, they become your biggest fans and help you take your next step. Forgetting this can quickly zap your motivation and stunt your growth.

Personal growth isn’t just about looking ahead. We must look back and share our knowledge with those who are looking to level up in their lives.

The most successful people understand and embrace this, you just don’t have to be the most successful person to practice this yourself.

Time to gamify your life

You might not be a gamer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a skill-based matchmaking algorithm of your own.

By orienting your personal growth towards someone you admire, but focusing on those whose skill level is immediately in front of and behind you, you can avoid discouragement and level up in a rapid way.

Go ahead, make a game out of taking your life to the next level.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll reach level Tim Denning by doing so.

Speaking of those who are going to grow a following in a hurry, I have to shout out Naman Jain. His story about resigning without having another job lined up, and how it was a fantastic decision is a great read.

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