Want to know what this unexpected mindset that can make you achieve goals in life is? This is the best mindset hack on how to achieve a goal successfully.
I love video games. I believe my first game ever was Prince of Persia on that huge bulky computer with Windows 98. I was five.
Now when I am always busy doing my adult things, I don’t play games as much. But one or two times a year I get this crazy urge to hide and play The Sims 4 for hours. And I do.
I figured that it usually happens either right before the winter holidays or when I’ve been feeling stuck for some time.
If in the first case it’s a simple wish to enjoy things I used to enjoy as a kid during holidays (so I let my inner child take over), in the second it’s a sign that I am trying to escape, to make my life feel more exciting, and more importantly, to feel like I am achieving personal goals again.
And it is the easiest and shortest way to do so indeed… But not the best one.
After learning about this mindset, you are going to be extra prepared for all the steps to achieve goals in life.
🔎 Dig And You Will Find an Answer
So when it happened last time and I was feeling stuck, I decided to journal. I asked myself why I keep getting back to games again and again throughout the years.
This is what I ended up writing down:
“What if I want to play video games because it’s like going somewhere where I know I’ll be able to win and solve any problem?
And if not, I can always look up how other people did it, and do what they did, and still win?
And if still not, then f*ck it, I’m not going to worry about it anymore.
But hey… Should I adopt this way of thinking regarding my life journey?“
After that, I wrote: “Wow. Again and again, I am proving to myself that journaling is such a powerful tool for self-discovery and inner work.”
So if you haven’t tried journaling yet, I highly recommend getting a journal and doing at least a couple of minutes a day — you will soon see the difference in your emotional state.
Keep your eye on the updates — I will do a post on journaling prompts that helped me a lot.
And now for the main event:
🎮 “Life Is a Video Game” Approach
Whenever you are setting a new goal, or feeling stuck in the middle of achieving one, game-ify the process.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. That’s what we do in a video game when we want to level up. We do it until we break through. We barely think: “I am not good enough for this game”. View your tasks and challenges as quests in a good RPG.
I wish I never forgot who said this and I could credit them because it stuck with me firmly. It was something along the lines of:
You don’t need to be talented to become a success. All you have to do is to stick around long enough. - If you are not able to achieve the goal because of some constraints or circumstances that you cannot control — let it go. At least for now. Embrace this reality and find a better dream that works for you at the moment. You can get back to the initial one any time — possibly, with a changed perspective and some extra experience.
I also stumbled upon this video by Joey Schweitzer.
And everything just fell right into place.
✋🏼 Resistance
One more important thing that was referred to in the video: Resistance.
And the fact that you can game-ify it too.
Joey says:
When you overcome resistance, you absorb its power. The greater the resistance, the greater the power.
Steven Pressfield in his book The War of Art says:
Call it an overstatement but I’ll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square canvas.
(If you know Hitler’s story, he’s always wanted to become a professional artist, but never did.)
It shows how mindset plays the most crucial role in overcoming resistance. And if at some point things are going slowly, and we are not really seeing any progress, we might let our fears take over the driver’s seat. And then we are back to where we were, sabotaging our success.
We should try to see the “walls” of discomfort (that are coming from different challenges) as resources of rewards. In case we overcome them.
RELATED POST: How To Tame Your Inner Critic: Powerful Technique
👣 One More Important Thing To Remember To Achieve Goals In Life
One of the most life-changing things I have learned is quoted below from my favorite The Success Principles by Jack Canfield:
An important concept that successful people understand is that you are never stuck. You just keep re-creating the same experience over and over by thinking the same thoughts, maintaining the same beliefs, speaking the same words, and doing the same things.
If you want a different outcome, change this repeatable cycle of familiar thoughts and actions. If you are feeling stuck, try changing your routine.
P.S. There is nothing bad in playing video games once in a while.
If it helps you decompress, relax, and even more — learn things about yourself, then what’s wrong with it? It’s actually beneficial — as long as it’s not transferring into addiction.
