It’s been a few weeks since I started playing by the framework from Steve Kamb’s book, Level Up Your Life (more on the book here). Given how much has happened over those weeks, I felt like it’s time for an update on how it’s been going.
How I’ve categorized my quest list
I have over 100 different quests on my list now, so to help organize everything, I’ve sorted them into the following categories:
- Health Quests – Things like cooking my own meals, eating less candy, and getting laser eye surgery.
- Intelligence Quests – Includes things like learning Mandarin, learning to use certain woodworking power tools from my grandpa, and writing my 100th blog post.
- Physical Quests – Things like earning my second-degree black belt, performing 100 pushups non-stop, and running 5k in under 25 minutes.
- Family Quests – Like doing activities together and visiting family in Italy
- Mindfulness Quests – Like meditating, controlling my temper on the road and writing in a happiness journal
- Generosity Quests – Like helping a coworker get promoted, volunteering my time and performing random acts of kindness
- Freedom Quests – Like becoming debt-free and accumulating certain amounts of savings
- Courage Quests – Like acting as a guest speaker at a Toastmasters event, or singing Karaoke in public
- Adventure Quests – Like visiting Okinawa and Hawaii
- Work Quests – Like getting promoted
- Fun Quests – Like hosting a themed party at our house or entering a photography contest
- Master Quests – Like having children, buying our dream home or retiring by 55
There’s lots there as you can see, and so there’s no excuse for going a day without making progress toward at least one of the items on my quest list.
What I’ve accomplished to date
It’s only been a few weeks now, but looking back I’m still amazed at what I’ve been able to accomplish in that short time:
- I’ve found 18 geocaches in four different cities
- Taught a kids’ karate class
- Performed random acts of kindness
- Meditated for a week straight
- Performed 70 pushups non-stop (a new personal best)
- Held a 4-min plank (also a personal best)
- Cut down to one bag of candy per week (it was a lot more. I have no willpower.)
These are quests I’ve crossed off in the span of a few weeks. Imagine what’s possible over the span of a few years or more!
Wrapping it Up
Look, I’m not the most motivated guy in the world. But I’ve found that when you gamify your life the way Steve Kamb talks about doing, you take motivation and willpower out of the equation. Crossing things off your list becomes fun. It’s no longer something that feels like work.
No matter what your system, find something that allows you to get out there and do the things you want to do, whether that’s travelling, buying a home, changing careers, learning a new language or otherwise. The biggest change I’ve noticed in myself since taking this approach to my life is that every day now feels more like the gift it truly is. Every day is an opportunity to better myself and my life, and every day when I don’t take a small step in pursuit of those goals feels like a day wasted.
That’s how I want to live my life. That’s why I started this blog in the first place. And that’s why I feel like it’s so important that I share this with you.
