How To Live Life Like it’s a Game | The Modern Hidalgo

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This one app will guide you.
THE MODERN HIDALGO: Entry_008
Written: Thursday. July 11, 2019.

Imade sure that I had done my daily exercise routine before agreeing with myself to start writing an entry for today. Seemed quite logical, because it would have been an ironic turnout if I had begun writing this entry, which would properly consist of the topic about productivity, and not have done anything productive for the day…

That’s ironic. So I didn't wanna let that happen, and did what needed to be done. And that is to exercise and get my body in proper shape or form.

I guess that’s the most effective way to get things done, by simply doing it.

I've spent a lot of my childhood playing games, wasting hours watching my favorite cartoons, or just simply day-dreaming of things I wanted in my life.

I never wrote a lot back then, like how often I write today.
I never worked out a lot back then, like how often I grabbed weights everyday, these days.

I never did a lot of things that most people would consider productive, back then. That’s why right now, I feel as though my past is catching up on me, and making me pay my life bills.

It’s not even a subjective thought, anymore. I literally cannot stand it anymore whenever I don’t do something.

I think it was yesterday, when I woke up, and for some god-knows reason, my head was feeling odd. It was like I had a headache or something. It was a mild feeling, but it was nagging the back of my head. I thought of doing my workout routine, to hopefully get me out of that headache. And it turned out to be an effective way to get rid of the headache!

I literally needed the exercise. I don’t know why, but it worked for me.

I think maybe the reason why I wasn't much of a productive seeking individual back then, was because there wasn't really anything back then to make me want to be productive. Nothing urged me to write stories, to workout, to make use of myself.

That was until a year ago, when I discovered this app called Habitica.


I discovered the website first, before the actual app.

Habitica is an application that takes your daily tasks, your to-do lists, your errands, etc., and making them into quests or challenges, that you would then have to finish. And by doing so, you get to receive points for the digital representation of the productive you.

It’s sort of like your basic RPG (Role Playing Game), but in real life.


You get to see your stats, your quests, you also get to feed some pets. Every time you finish a task, you get gold, which you could then use to buy Rewards. A Reward is something you give yourself for doing an amazing job. Like buying a donut after a whole day at work. Watching a movie in the cinema after finishing your homeworks/assignments. Buying a book after you've finished reading the last one.

The options are endless, because the rewards are up for you to make for yourself. That’s what makes Habitica fun!

But the downside to this is, which can also be the fun part, and the part that makes it totally feel like a game, is the fact that your character is given a Life Bar.

With tasks that give you points, you also have to make tasks or habits that give you damage.

Let’s say, working out for the day can give you 5 points. Not working out for the day, will damage you by 5 points as well. Eating too much junk food can give you kidney stones in real life, so when you eat junk foods, you get damaged. This is an example of what you can put in your Habits Bar.

It’s what makes the game challenging. Because it not only makes you productive, it also helps you live out a healthy lifestyle.

Habitica has really helped me a lot this past year when it comes to my fitness, and with my writing. But it wasn't easy in the beginning.

It takes a while before you get the hang of it, the app, I mean. It doesn't really remind you, or give you notifications on what you need to get done for the day. But I think that’s only for you to check on the app, yourself. To encourage you to find out what you need to do for the day.

It starts slow, but once you get into the rhythm of things, you’re good to go.

If I were to give you some pointers, this would probably be it:

Habits:
  • write anything! (+)
    - from 500–1000 words.
  • Process Email. (+)
  • Read a Chapter in a Book. (+)
  • waste time. (-)
  • spend money. (-)
  • Get to your destination.
    - if you’re early (+)
    - if you’re late (-)
Dailies:
  • Shave Facial Hair
    - this could be set as a weekly, just click on options.
  • Learn something New.
  • Take a Bath.
  • Brush Your Teeth.
  • Drink a Glass of Water in the Morning.
To-Dos:
  • Wash the Dishes.
  • Do the Laundry.
  • Wash the Car.
  • Pay the Bills.
  • Do your Homework.
  • Study for Tomorrow’s Exam.
  • Clean your Bedroom.
Rewards:
  • Buy a Book (set it to 300 gold)
  • Watch a Movie in the Cinemas (set it to 500 gold)
  • Watch a TV Series Episode (set it to 50 gold)
This isn't really how I organize my Habitica profile, but this is something that could work for you. You don’t have to follow it exactly how I laid it out for you, you could improvise. Change a few things that would suit your needs.

The fun thing about it is it’s all up to you. You get to decide how to live your life. How to Gamify it.

Hopefully, I've convinced some of you to try Habitica out. I've noticed that most of my friends don’t really have an active lifestyle. They’re very passive when it comes to their lifestyles. I don’t really see much spontaneity when it comes to how they live their lives. They’re all just following everybody.

I've never seen any of them stick it up to the man, to the system, to the boss. They’re all just following orders. And that’s just sad.

Don’t be like them. Be your own boss. Follow your own rules. Live your own life. Don’t do what other people are doing, because that works for them. It doesn't guarantee that it would work for you.

I was gonna pick of a word for the day, but how convenient is it the Habitica starts with an H?

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