Level Up Your Life: Use Gamification to Lead to Success (and Support Therapeutic Goals!)

Practice. Whether it’s piano, soccer, coding, managing anxiety, or improving social skills, it’s the key to getting better at anything. But let’s be honest, sometimes practice can feel like a chore. Dragging your feet, staring at the clock, wishing you were doing anything else… sound familiar? This is especially true when the “practice” involves working through challenging emotions or developing new coping skills in therapy. If so, it’s time to bring out the big guns: gamification! And we’re not just talking any gamification, we’re taking inspiration from the science-backed principles of SuperBetter and applying it to both therapeutic and non-therapeutic goals.

Think about your favorite video game. What makes it so engaging? The challenges, the rewards, the feeling of progress, right? We can harness that same magic, and the power of positive psychology, to transform seemingly mundane or difficult exercises into exciting adventures. Just like Jane McGonigal’s research in SuperBetter and her TED Talk (which you can watch here: Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life) shows, turning real-life challenges into games can unlock our potential and boost our resilience. We can use these same principles to create custom rewards charts with levels and mini-bosses to support a wide range of goals.

Creating Your Game (SuperBetter Style)

The basic idea is simple: structure the work you’re doing like a video game, but with a focus on strengths, the “epic meaning” McGonigal discusses, and the specific goals. This taps into the natural desire for progress, makes the whole process more fun, builds resilience, and reinforces positive change. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Define the Skill/Goal: What specific skill or goal are you working on? Be specific! Whether it’s “practicing scales on the piano,” “improving free throw percentage in basketball,” “practicing deep breathing exercises three times a day,” or “initiating conversations with new people,” clearly define what you want to achieve.
2. Set the Levels: Break down the overall goal into smaller, manageable levels. For example:
   • Piano: Level 1: Mastering the C major scale; Level 2: Adding the G major scale; Level 3: Playing a simple piece incorporating both scales.
   • Therapy (Anxiety Management): Level 1: Mastering deep breathing; Level 2: Practicing mindfulness for 5 minutes; Level 3: Using coping skills in a mildly stressful situation.
3. Each level should have clear, achievable goals. Think of these as your “quests” in SuperBetter.
4. Introduce Mini-Bosses (Your “Big Bad” – Challenges): Every few levels, introduce a “mini-boss.” These are bigger challenges that require mastering the skills from the previous levels.
   • Piano: Mini-boss: Playing a more complex piece that utilizes the learned scales and incorporates new techniques.
   • Therapy (Social Skills): Mini-boss: Initiating and maintaining a short conversation with a stranger.
5. Defeating a mini-boss earns a bigger reward. These are the obstacles you need to overcome, just like in a game (and in life!), and often represent the core challenges.
6. Design the Rewards Chart: Create a visually appealing chart (you can even draw it yourself!) with the levels clearly marked. Use fun, heroic names for the levels and mini-bosses. Think “Scale Slayer,” “Free Throw Fury,” “Anxiety Annihilator,” or “Conversation Commander.” Consider incorporating a theme – maybe it’s a superhero journey, a space adventure, or exploring a magical kingdom. For therapy-related goals, ensure the therapist is involved in this process to ensure alignment with treatment goals.
7. Establish the Reward System (Your “Power-Ups” – Positive Reinforcement): Determine appropriate and helpful rewards. Rewards should be aligned with the goals and should not inadvertently reinforce unhealthy behaviors. It could be screen time, a new book, a trip to the park, or even just a special activity. Match the rewards to the difficulty of the level or mini-boss. Defeating a mini-boss should yield a more significant reward. These are your “power-ups” that help you on your quest.
8. Track Progress (Celebrate Your “Triumphs” – Acknowledge Growth): Use stickers, stamps, or checkmarks to mark progress on the chart. Visualizing progress is a powerful motivator. Just like in SuperBetter, celebrate your “triumphs” – even the small ones! This reinforces positive change and builds self-efficacy. For therapy-related goals, regularly review progress with your therapist to ensure the game remains aligned with therapeutic goals and to discuss any challenges encountered.

Why Gamification Works (The SuperBetter Connection):

• Increased Engagement: Gamification makes the process more interactive and enjoyable, reducing resistance and increasing motivation.
• Clear Goals (Meaningful Quests): Levels and mini-bosses provide clear targets, making the work feel less overwhelming and more like a series of achievable quests with a larger purpose.
• Sense of Accomplishment (Building Resilience and Self-Efficacy): Completing levels and defeating mini-bosses provides a sense of achievement and boosts confidence. This builds resilience and self-efficacy, crucial for progress.
• Intrinsic Motivation (Unleashing Your Inner Heroic Potential): The fun and challenge of the game, combined with the focus on strengths and progress, can foster intrinsic motivation.
• Therapeutic Alliance (for Therapy Goals): Working collaboratively with a therapist to create and utilize the game can strengthen the therapeutic alliance and enhance engagement in the therapeutic process.

Tips for Success with Gamification:

• Involve Your Therapist (for Therapy Goals): This is paramount. The therapist must be involved in designing the chart, choosing the names for the levels and mini-bosses, and deciding on the rewards. This ensures alignment with treatment goals and provides an opportunity for therapeutic discussion and support.
• Keep it Positive: Focus on celebrating progress and effort, rather than just the end result. Embrace the “positive emotion” boost from SuperBetter.
• Be Flexible: Adjust the levels and rewards as needed to keep the challenge appropriate and the motivation high. For therapy goals, this should be done in consultation with the therapist.
• Make it Fun! The whole point is to make the work more enjoyable, so don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with it. Embrace the “joyful activity” aspect of SuperBetter.

So, ditch the drudgery and embrace the power of play and the power of positive psychology! Transform your practice and therapeutic exercises into a game, and watch yourself level up your skills, build resilience, and unlock your full potential. What are you waiting for? Let the games begin! (With the guidance and support of your therapist where appropriate, of course!)