How I Brainwashed Myself to Be Happy
I turned my life into a video-game
There’s a trick I stumbled upon that flipped everything around for me.
I stopped thinking of life as this rigid, unforgiving journey.
Instead, I turned it into a game.
Imagine this — you’re the main character.
You get to choose your avatar, build your skill set, and make decisions that either take you closer to the next level or drag you back to square one.
It sounds simple, but once you adopt this mindset, it changes the way you approach everything.
Here’s how I did it and how you can too:
1. Choose Your Character
The first step? Pick the version of yourself that you want to be.
You wouldn’t start a video game without selecting the character with the right strengths, would you? The same goes for life.
Ask yourself:
What kind of person do I want to become?
And then, step into that role, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.
It’s like picking a superhero in a game — would you choose someone who’s weak and unskilled? No. You’d choose someone with potential.
That’s exactly how I started, by imagining who I wanted to be and then acting like I was already that person.
2. Stack High ROI Skills
In games, you unlock certain abilities to beat tougher levels.
In life, it’s all about stacking skills with the highest return on investment (ROI).
Start with one. Nail it. Then, move on to the next.
For me, it was fitness.
Lifting weights was my gateway skill. Once I mastered that, I started gaining confidence, which spilled into every other area of my life.
And soon, I wasn’t just stacking muscles, I was stacking skills — writing, learning, networking.
The more skills you have, the more untouchable you become.
3. Collect Knowledge Like Power-Ups
In a game, you grab power-ups to make your character stronger.
In life, knowledge is your power-up.
I became obsessed with learning. Books, podcasts, articles — it didn’t matter.
Every new piece of information I collected was like adding another tool to my belt.
4. Build Your Network — Your Team of Allies
No character wins a game alone.
Mario has Luigi, and Batman has Robin. In real life, you need allies too.
I started to focus on building relationships. Not superficial ones — genuine connections with people who could challenge me, teach me, and help me level up.
Surrounding yourself with people who are better than you at something is the ultimate cheat code.
5. Learn the Rules Before You Break Them
Ever tried skipping the tutorial in a game and then failed miserably?
That’s what happens when you don’t take time to learn the rules.
I spent years trying to figure things out on my own, thinking I could reinvent the wheel.
Spoiler alert: I couldn’t.
Once I learned the “rules” of the game — whether that’s fitness, personal growth, or relationships — I knew exactly where to push boundaries and where to stay the course.
6. Start Winning Small, Then Aim Bigger
Games reward you for every small victory. So does life.
At first, winning for me was about tiny things — getting out of bed early, drinking more water, hitting the workout session consistently.
But as I got better at those things, my wins started getting bigger. Suddenly, I was winning at work, in my relationships, in my health.
Momentum breeds success. Once you’ve built some, it’s impossible to stop.
7. Level Up — Always
In video games, you never settle at level one.
You push yourself to reach level 2, 3, 4, and beyond.
Life is the same. There’s no end to leveling up.
The trick is to never get comfortable.
When you think you’ve mastered something, ask yourself:
What’s next? Where can I grow now?
Final Words
The moment I started treating my life like a game, it became fun.
Obstacles? They’re just part of the level.
Setbacks? A chance to learn and try again.
The best part? You’ll only lose if you quit.
So, build momentum through gamification.
Create a character that can win, stack those high-ROI skills
Life isn’t about being yourself. It’s about creating yourself.
Ready to play?
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