Games are the most engaging learning systems ever made. In high school, I used to play games for upwards of _3 hours_ even on school nights. The learning in games was vastly more fun than my forced school learning. Terraria, Minecraft, Civilization 6, you name it--I played it. I played _even though_ the games had no clear real-life output. **Every. Single. Day.** Is there any other activity that can hold your attention this long (peanut butter might have a chance, but that's just me)? No. So the next natural question is: ### How can gamers 10x their learning effectiveness by applying the principles of what makes games so engaging to real life? **This article will show you how.** By learning, I mean a change in behavior or capability as the result of memory. Learning how to public speak, how to take effective notes, how to study for school, how to create content online, etc. The principles of games can make us _better at all of it._ Throughout this article we'll explore gameful mindsets we can take towards life, how to build self-efficacy and confidence, how to craft a learning plan, and how to supercharge our learning sessions themselves. # Changing Mindset Perhaps the most important thing games tell us about learning is this: ### We learn the best when we CARE about the things we are learning about, and know WHY we are learning them. Emotion plays a massive role in learning. We have a separate part of the brain just for emotional memory (the amygdala); the more emotion, the sticker our memory. **Games radiate with emotion.** They infuse emotion by making us _care_ and telling us _why_ we are learning. Some do this through narratives and characters. Other games like chess or Mario Kart Party use social emotionality. Some games like Minecraft use the awe and wonder of boundless creative opportunity to grab us. This is a far cry from traditional education, which uses tests and deadlines to motivate us to learn, [_teaching us to associate learning with anxiety._](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/aidans-infinite-play-47-why-im-no-longer-a-straight-a-student-and-why-you-dont-want-to-be-one/) We can take this into our own lives. Try to connect what you are learning to something you _care_ about. This will instill the new thing you are learning with emotion. In addition, ask _the_ question, **why are you doing this in the first place?** I followed these two tips when embarking on my [Spanish Language learning journey.](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/my-6-months-to-intermediate-spanish-learning-plan/) I connected my Spanish learning to something I already cared about, meta-learning--learning about learning. Learning Spanish will help me understand more about how we learn. Then, I asked myself why I wanted to learn Spanish. There are a few reasons I want to do it: I can talk to native speakers when traveling to South America. I can see the world in a different light because different languages make you perceive the world differently. I can delve further into my love for the science of learning through language learning. ### Games also promote learning by pushing us out of our comfort zones, so we fail, and failure is the best form of learning. They do this by instilling in us a challenge mindset. A challenge mindset involves seeing obstacles as _challenges_ to test and grow. In other words, seeing obstacles not as annoyances in the way but as the way itself. I remember playing Terraria with my good friend Alejandro back in the summers of high school. We spent hours every day exploring, crafting, and making potions, to prepare for notoriously hard boss fights which we didn't even have to fight. **We chose to fight because we saw the bosses as challenges to overcome, not obstacles in the way.** You can adopt a challenge mindset in real life. See obstacles you come across as challenges to test and grow. Your boss at work makes a mean comment, and you practice patience. You miss your bus and have to walk. Starbucks ran out of pumpkin spice latte, how devastating. They are all challenges. ### Finally, games promote intrinsic learning by getting us to adopt a fun frame. Fun framing is when you do something purely for the joy of doing it. By fun framing an activity, you make the activity a reward in itself. This is how games get people to play for hours every day despite no real-life output. When you have intrinsic motivation, you'll do the activity _even when you don't have to._ **In effect, more learning.** We can learn from games by building intrinsic motivation in real life. Researchers showed when people adopted a fun frame for exercising; they were less likely to reward themselves with food later.[^1] They saw the exercise itself as the reward. [Learn to find joy in the activity in itself.](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/aidans-infinite-play-28-seven-powerful-tips-for-cultivating-intrinsic-motivation-in-college-from-burnout-to-bliss/) # Building Self-Efficacy You _need_ self-efficacy to learn effectively. Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their capacity to reach their goals. Without it, you won't pursue goals because _you don't think you can achieve them._ ### Games are masters of building self-efficacy. Part of this comes from getting us to adopt a challenge mindset and fun frame. But they also teach us our _actions can lead to success._ This is why many games start with a tutorial and gradually get harder. They don't want us to feel stuck too early on (except if you're playing Dark Souls). Many games also give us autonomy over the side-quests we pursue. We aren't bound to a set curriculum, but can create and navigate our own adventure. This builds confidence by teaching us we can forge our own path. I completed every single side and main quest for The Witcher 3. **I was entranced by the autonomy I was given in comparison to school.** In real life, we can use this insight to build self-efficacy and confidence. Before learning anything _big,_ start with something small. Build a habit of flossing. Text a nice message to friends or family after lunch. Start exercising for ten minutes a day. It's these small seemingly insignificant goals, that lead to the lifechanging goals. # Crafting A Learning Plan Having no learning plan is like steering an anchored ship. Turning is useless, because you aren't moving anywhere. Games give us direction by breaking large goals into smaller ones and making them _awesome._ Beating The Soul Of Cinder in Dark Souls 3 is daunting. But once it's broken down into sub-goals of beating Iudex Gundyr, Vordt Of The Boreal Valley, and more, it seems more manageable. ### We can upgrade our real-life learning by creating a plan. This is the step-by-step process I would go through for every learning endeavor I create. Before I explain, it's important to note _you need to personalize this for yourself._ This is just a guideline. - Step 1: Set your learning goal as specifically as possible. Use questions like "why, why, no really why? And what bad "thing will happen if I don't know?" to uncover the real reason why you want to learn. - Step 2: Define the gaps between your current situation and the learning goals. This will help identify what you actually have to learn to reach your goal. Gaps can be: - Knowledge gaps - Skill gaps - Motivation or attitude gaps - Habit gaps - Environment gaps - Communication gap - Step 3: Using your learning goal, do preliminary research into the best ways other people say you should learn this. Save blog posts, books, courses, videos, podcasts, etc. The longer your learning project, the longer you should spend in this step. When learning something, I like to consume one thing from all learning modalities: one written, one audible, and one video thing, and if necessary, I'll get one teacher/friend on board. - Step 4: Reverse goal set from your end learning goal to your current situation. I like to follow N.I.C.E goal setting instead of SMART goals. Set near-term goals that are input-based--emphasize the process over some distant abstract goal--and that are controllable and energizing. - Step 5: Enact your learning plan and iterate as you go. If you want to learn more about creating your own learning project and following through [I recommend checking out ultimate guide for gamers to upgrade their learning.](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/the-only-article-on-learning-gamers-will-ever-need-to-learn-more-in-less-time-supercharge-memory-and-have-more-fun/) # Supercharging Our Learning Practice Sessions Once our learning plan is set, the question becomes how we should practice, study, or consume information inside those sessions. Once again we can look to games which are expertly designed for optimal practice. ### Games promote learning by creating an environment for purposeful practice which is defined by Ander's Ericson in his book [[Peak]] as practice that includes more intention and focus then regular practice. It includes a few characteristics which you can memorize with the acronym **F.I.G.H.T.**: - **F**ocus: the learner intensely focuses on the present activity, opening them up to [[Flow]] - **I**teration: the learner has a means of seeing what they are doing right or wrong--ideally in a quick manner and changes their behavior using it - **G**oldilocks Zone: the learner stays inside of their [[Goldilocks Zone]], the zone in which an activity isn't so hard it's frustrating but it's not so easy it's boring - **H**eart: the leaner has a plan for maintaining their motivation - **T**argets: the learner has intention for the goals of the practice session **If there is a secret to learning faster than Sonic runs, it's purposeful practice.** Most people stay inside their comfort zone when learning which tells their body they don't have to learn. Games, however, step us outside of our comfort zone creating an environment for purposeful practice. In Bloons Tower Defense, for example, you are tasked with building an army of monkeys to defend against an intruding balloon force. At first, the balloon forces start out small and weak--most can defeat them while staying in their comfort zone. However, as you beat more and more waves, the strength and number of the army increases. **This forces you outside of your comfort zone and promotes learning.** We can follow the principles of purposeful practice in real life. Before starting any practice session--studying, skill practice, or something else--ask yourself, am I following everything in the F.I.G.H.T. acronym? If you aren't try and brainstorm some ways you can. ### Games also promote learning by getting us into the flow state The flow state occurs when all other worldly matters dissipate as you become completely absorbed in the present activity through a feeling of relaxed concentration. Flow is one of the most incredible states you can experience. _It's absolutely addicting._ While inside, I feel alive, free, _godly._ _How do games get us into flow?_ They promote the seven [[Elements to entering flow|elements to entering flow]]--many of which are the same as the elements of purposeful practice above. I distill in the elements in the acronym ACTIONS. This is because if you fulfill all seven elements, you can take any action confident it can become a flow experience. **A**ttend (Attend only to information which matters) **C**larify (Create clear completable goals and rules) **T**ao (Stay in the [[Goldilocks zone]]) **I**terate (Receive unambiguous feedback) **O**perate (Sense of control over actions) **N**on-attachment with time (Detachment from time) **S**elf-goal (Foster an [[Autotelic personality]])  The best games fulfill these prerequisites, making them optimal for getting us into the flow. I remember in the summer months, I could play Total War Warhammer 2 for _seven hours a day_ it was so engaging. I was in flow for all of it. In real life, we can apply these principles by going through each part of the ACTIONS framework and asking if we are fulfilling them within our learning activity. If you want to learn more about how to do, [check out my two-part series on my website.](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/how-to-gamify-your-life-to-enter-flow-more-consistently/) ### Finally, games have practice sessions because they use just-in-time learning rather than just-in-case Games provide the information necessary to move forward _only when you need it._ That's called just-in-time learning. For example, you aren't told how to feed chickens or milk cows until you have a farm in Stardew Valley. This is different from just-in-case learning, information given far away from its application--the dominant form of learning in school. **Generally, just-in-time learning is better because application is one of the best ways to learn something.** We can use this in real-life by consuming information _right before applying._ This is why I love having a project associated with my learnings, whether it be a essay, video, or something else. It gives me a medium to apply my learnings to. I turn normally just-in-case knowledge into just-in-time knowledge. You can do the same. # Finding Allies Finally, games 10x our learning effectiveness by integrating the most powerful form of learning of all: other people. Humans are social creatures. We evolved to learn through others. Ethics, laws, shaming, and more are all human-made inventions to monitor social relationships. Mirror neurons are activated when we see someone else doing something targeting the same parts of our brain as actually doing that thing, minus the movement. **In effect, just seeing other people act can be a source of learning.** I once saw my brother study 8 hours for three days straight to cram for a AP Calc exam he had to pass to get into college. I witnessed his boredom, tiredness, and anxiety firsthand. That experience was enough to teach me _never_ to get myself into a similar situation. Many games promote this type of learning through social play. Some like Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart Party do it through competition. Others like Gloomhaven or Pandemic Legacy do it through cooperation. We can integrate this by finding allies for the _game of real life._ Find people who will help you accomplish your learning goals. People who can work alongside you. Or be your accountability buddy to motivate you toward success. Doing this, I recruited my friend John Mavrick to join my journey to learning notetaking a year ago. [John Mavrick](https://www.youtube.com/@itsjohnmavrick?ref=aidanhelfant.com) is another Obsidian YouTuber who loves PKM, self-actualization, video games, and more. Learning how to navigate the PKM space together made overcoming challenges and fighting baddies so much more fun. We added another layer of challenge to our journey by both taking notes on the fantastic 50-episode lecture series [Awakening From The Meaning Crisis By John Vervaeke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3IBbK6ug4g&t=1s&ref=aidanhelfant.com)​. This gave us a shared challenge to apply our PKM skills to. # Turn Your Real Life Into A Game Games are the most engaging learning systems ever created. It's for this reason I played for upwards of 3 hours every day _even on school nights_ in high school. I hope by reading this article, you now understand how games can 10x our learning effectiveness in real life. We can change our mindsets toward learning, build self-efficacy, craft a learning plan, supercharge our learning practice sessions, and find allies. Using these techniques, I have stopped by video game addiction; real life has become the most fun game imaginable. [Get my gamification resource list to turn your real life into the most fun game imaginable. Create your superhero alter-ego, define your quests and epic wins, cultivate your skills and abilities, and fight your bad guys.](https://resource.aidanhelfant.com/gamificationresourcelist?ref=aidanhelfant.com) Here's what I would like to share this week. ## 📸News From The Channel! 📺**Latest On De YouTube** - [This One Question Made Me Addicted To Learning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEGIiHUWjj8&t=1s): How can I make this fun? This one question from Feel Good Productivity made me addicted to learning. In this video, I go through five principles of how you can make learning endeavors more fun so you can learn without needed discipline. 📺**Latest On De YouTube** - [2023 Yearly Review--Family Death, Tripling The Business, Travelling The World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fph0mYGG8&t=18s): When I'm 100 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I'll look back upon 2023 and say, "dang, that was a good year." Aside from 2020 (The year of Covid-19), 2023 has been the most life-changing year of my life. In this video, I intend to reflect on all of the goals I set for 2023 and recount some of my greatest lessons in health, work, relationships, spirituality, experiences, and personal growth. 🎙️**Latest On De Podcast** - [E35 Jorge Arango: How To Extend Your Mind With Connected Notes](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2031091/14234588): Jorge Arango is an information architect, author, and educator. For the past 25 years, he has used architectural thinking to bring clarity and alignment to digital products and services. He's the author of _Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places_, co-author of _Information Architecture: for the Web and Beyond_, and host of _The Informed Life_ podcast. Besides consulting, writing, and podcasting, Jorge also teaches in the graduate interaction design program at the California College of the Arts. In this podcast you will learn: - How to extend your mind using connected notes - The three simple principles for creating a knowledge garden - How to boost your creativity and upgrade your thinking with connected notetaking ✍️**Latest On De Blog** - [How I'm Accelerating My Resistance Training And Diet In 2024](https://www.aidanhelfant.com/how-im-accelerating-my-resistance-training-and-diet-in-2024/): Over the last year I have gotten complacent in my resistance training. So over the last few weeks I have reignited my passion for exercise by doing a ton of research into how to effectively resistance train and diet for optimal hypertrophy. I feel like a kid set loose in a candy store again--it's so fun to reignite old passions. This article is an encapsulation of the most valuable things I learned/re-learned during my research into the principles of resistance training and dieting. If you are interested in accelerating your resistance training and diet, this will be invaluable. ## 💡My Best Insights: P.S. *Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links.* 📖**Book** - [On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction](https://amzn.to/47xsaby): If you're interested in learning to write great non-fiction this is the book for you. I'm re-reading it for the second time to work on my goal of supercharging my writing in 2024. So many new insights! 📰**Blog Post** - [The Microwave Economy](https://perell.com/essay/the-microwave-economy/): In this article, David Perell talks about how America has become a microwave economy. We are overwhelmingly using our wealth for cheap dopamine hits as if possessions were puffs off a cigarette. We prioritize material goods over experiences. Even our possessions lack soul; they speak little of our character. ### Footnotes [^1]: Carolina O.C. Werl", Brian Wansink, and Collin R. Payne, "Is It Fun or Exercise? The Framing of Physic" l Activity Biases Subsequent Snacking," Marketing Letters (2014): 1–12.