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Life as a Video Game

With six science-backed reasons, what if you played life like you would a video game?

Hands hold a controller against a cosmic background. Text reads "Life as a Video Game" and "What if you played life like you would a video game?"
Life as a Video Game

So...this' an interesting one;

Playing life like a video game.


You don't do that everyday, do you?


To start,

Life is a series of:

↳ Goals

↳ Challenges

↳ And opportunities

Just like a video game, where:

➵ The challenges get harder the more you play

➵ You have opportunities to recharge using XP points

➵ And the goal is to win.


Let's explore this theory,

Life as a Game,

Along with the data and science to back it up.

Brief Glossary

"Fax" = Facts

"Sayans" Science


I'm just having fun. 🙂


CTA = Call to Action


  1. Clear Objectives and Milestones


Video games have missions and goals:

➙ You race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win.

➙ You play NBA2K to dunk 80 with Lebron.

➙ You play Minecraft to build an imaginary empire.


Players know what to do to win.

They know what necessitates winning.

And they act upon it.

The same applies to life.


By setting clear or SMART Goals in your life, career, or personal development, you risk maintaining focus and direction. (The good kind of risk)

A study by Locke and Latham (2002) on APA PsychNet shows that people who set specific and challenging goals achieve higher performance and enhance persistence, effort, and focus.

↳ Set goals.

↳ Big goals.

↳ Audacious goals.

↳ Goals that will stretch you.

↳ Goals that will evolve you.

Black-and-white image of a man smiling with a motivational quote by Jim Rohn about becoming a millionaire. Signature: Carerra's Chronicles.
Set a goal for what it will make of you to achieve it - Jim Rohn

I miss you Rohn. 💔

Set your goals today.

  1. Failure as a Learning Tool

In video games,

Failure isn't the end.


We don't "fail" in a video game

Simply because we refuse to.


We LITERALLY refuse to do so...to a point it's addicting.

➙ Guys will restart a FIFA match seven times just to beat the CPU at World Class difficulty.


↳ Each setback is a lesson.

↳ And each failure is a feedback loop,

Teaching us what to do better next time and how to approach it differently.


The same applies to life.


In life,

Failures birth growth.


They suck in the short term, but we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

An old wise man sat on cloudy mountaintops.
Failure isn't a final verdict - It's a Feedback Loop.

The Sayans

Carol Dweck's work on Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006) states that viewing challenges as learning opportunities improves outcomes and fosters development.

Portrait of a woman gesturing with text on growth mindset by Carol Dweck. Black and white theme, "Carerra’s Chronicles" in cursive.
Failure is a feedback loop.

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Orange sunset over an ocean with palm trees and birds. Text: "THE WEEKLY CHRONICLE: High-impact ideas in 60 seconds." Decorative floral edges.

We keep reading.


  1. Continuous Feedback and Adaptation

Video games have quick feedback loops.

They provide feedback through:

  • Score Updates as the Lakers beat the Raptors

  • Health Bars while navigating Black Hawk Down in Mogadishu

  • New Abilities as you (idk - Put your own game here.)


The same applies to life.


In life, you get feedback from:

  • Mentors

  • Self-Assessments

  • Performance Reviews


And use these to improve.


The Fax

Because games provide continuous feedback, let's look at gamification.

Gamification is the application of in-game elements into non-game contexts (e.g., work) to drive progress, innovation, and behavioral change.


So if you're at work, you modify it into a "work-game" to encourage employees to be more productive and enjoy working.


Items like achievements, badges, leaderboards, etc., incentivize productivity because people love seeing their numbers on a scoreboard. Reminds me: Company Hackathons are a thing too.


AmplifAI cites that 90% of employees became more work-productive through gamification, with 83% feeling motivated after gamified training. Read more here.


And this presents a market niche;


As per Precedence Research, the worldwide gamification market is currently valued at $20.84 billion (2025) and projected to reach $190.87 billion in 2034, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.90%.


Smiling man against brick wall with a quote on gamification: "Games can get people to act against self-interest predictably." Black background.
About Gamification
Gamify your goals.

  1. Strategic Planning and Resource Management

In a game, you need MASSIVE resource management.

And your resources include health, time, and in-game currency.

(Can't believe Robux is a thing. 💀)


The same applies to life.


You can apply similar resource-management approaches in life; techniques such as budgeting, career moves, and time/energy investments.

And you become a better strategic thinker that way - Identifying the needle-moving levers that get you closer to your goals.


The Fax

Float, a professional services company, found that their ost successful customers saw a 35% increase in tracked working hours and a team with a 90% on-time delivery rate courtesy of effective resource management. More info here.


Master your Resources

Smiling man with a headset on stage; quote about resourcefulness by Tony Robbins. Black background, vibrant blue tones.

Plan strategically, Manage Resourcefully

  1. Building Skills Through Challenges


The more you play a game, the more challenges arise.

'Cause they're part of the game, right?

The whole point of the game is facing challenges in a fun and dopaminergic way.

And these challenges force you, the player, to construct the skills necessary to overcome them.


The same applies to life.


Life rewards continuous learning and skill acquisition.

You won't be a master on day 1, but with time, you'll build:

↳ Expertise

↳ Credibility

↳ Mastery


The Fax

Reports from the World Economic Forum stipulate that the modern workplace values adaptability and continuous learning.


Man in a suit holding a book titled "GROW RICH." Quote: "Strength and growth come only through effort and struggle." ~Napoleon Hill.

  1. Social Engagement and Collaboration

Video games emphasize teamwork.

  • When you're playing FIFA, you have 11 players, not one.

  • Or when playing Call of Duty, you're in a brigade, not a solo hitman.

There's an absolutely 0% chance you'll win a game solo.

'Cause Think About It: When you can't beat a final boss, you'll Google how to do it...and find someone's Reddit post showing you the solution.


You still collaborated, albeit indirectly.


The same applies to life.


Networking, collaboration, and social capital can unlock opportunities that would've initially been out of reach.

Pretty self-explanatory.

Black-and-white image of a woman with a large book in a library. Quote: "Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much."
Collaborate.
Kollaborate

Conclusion

So in conclusion,

Life is a video game;

↳ Challenges are objectives

↳ Failure is learning

↳ And feedback is everywhere


So if you can win a game,

You can win life too.


So go out there and win life.

And win it big.


God bless.

.

.

.

~T.K.K

Bibliography

  1. Locke, Edwin A., and Gary P. Latham. “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35-Year Odyssey.” American Psychologist 57, no. 9 (2002): 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705.

  2. Gamification Market Size to Surpass USD 190.87 Billion by 2034

  3. 25+ Gamification Statistics You Need to Know in 2025 | AmplifAI

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