There are some truths I’ve been realizing. The most pronounced of which is - specially in this era of Corona Virus - is that the lack of interaction with the real-world environment prompts unmotivation.

why you keep going at video games but not at real life⌗

Take a video game for example. It is highly addictive. One can play for hours on end. Why is that? Well, I think it has to do with the simplified progression system of a video-game compared to real life - there’s a ton of videos on YouTube that approach this exact subject. In a video-game the goals are clear. Even if the videogame does not have a story endgame, it is at the very least clear in the definition of what you have to do - it is simply what raises your score. Take CS:GO for example: it has no story mode, and is all about shooting. Yet, people can spend hours on it.

  • it offers thrills that we are still wired to react from out days as a hunter-gatherer species
  • what do you have to do? hunt.
  • what do you get? A high score and weapons.

It is so simple that the reason why people grow unmotivated with their goals comes naturally. People don’t need any grand goal to remain motivated. Perhaps, quite on the contrary, the only thing they need as a simple score simply going up, even if it is futile - however it may necessitate triggering our biological instincts. Reality is a far more complex and difficult game compared to CS:GO. The good news is that, with this information, I know what I have to do right? It is not so simple, but it is a start.

Emulate the simplicity of a video game⌗

TODO write a short parapgraph beneath each point.

  • Always reward yourself mentally for doing the right thing.
  • Procrastinate on your highest-priority goal with other goals.
  • Always interact with real people in the pursuit of your goals.
  • Keep the reward circuit as short as possible!!
  • Know your times of the day.
  • Dopamine-related: only allow yourself to get dopamine from accomplishing your goals.
Interesting videos⌗