Yes, the real world does behave differently than a video game and there are so many potential pitfalls of using games as any form of education, productivity tool or other “good” use. Gamification pushes the idea that we can add a new layer of challenge-reward systems to all sorts of life tasks in order to be more successful. It’s particularly prevalent around anything to do with the modern world’s Holy Grail, productivity. Want to motivate someone to lose weight, make it into a game. Get more done in less time, there are virtual gold stars for that. And on and on it goes. The prevalence of apps on all of our phones has pushed this to the next level. But, real life is not a measured form of challenge-reward system and adding an artificial virtual system on top of real life doesn’t necessarily get you to where you want to be.
Frequently, to get what you want and where you want to be you need to understand and accept delayed gratification, which runs completely counter the a measured challenge-reward system. Delayed gratification isn’t martyrdom, but it does require you to establish what your largest goal is and then be willing to sacrifice comfort in whatever form that is most appropriate to the end goal — free time in exchange for learning a new marketable skill, comfort foods in exchange for losing weight, budgeting for a rainy day and not buying the new thing now, etc.
The most important thing you want to do, probably can’t be achieved quickly or easily and you’re going to have lots of set backs with no quick rewards afterward to boost your moral and keep you playing like you would in a game.
