Level Up: How Goal Setting Games Can Improve Your Productivity

Have you kicked off the New Year by setting new goals? The beginning of the year is a fresh opportunity to give yourself a clear direction and purpose. Setting goals is crucial to guide your focus and actions towards a desired outcome and sustain momentum in life.

But setting goals doesn't have to be a serious, boring exercise. In fact, it's more fun chasing your goals when you make a game of it! Goal-setting games can push you to think differently, get the creative juices flowing, and inspire you to self-realize and act.

How you set your goals and work towards them is also crucial. Setting a New Year resolution is often a feeble and half-hearted exercise for the best of us. More often than not, we fail to achieve our goals because we don't make the right ones. Having clear, attainable, and time-limited career goals is where the magic happens.

Why is goal setting important?

Establishing the right goals in a work environment can transform your plans into tangible achievements. Goals serve as the foundation for attaining significant milestones in your career.

Setting workplace goals gives you:

• Direction:?They act as a roadmap; goals guide your actions and decisions toward specific outcomes.
• Focus:?They prevent distractions and keep you on track toward what you want to accomplish.
• Accountability:?You become more responsible for taking the necessary steps to achieve what you've set out to do.
• Clarity:?Goals offer a framework for evaluating choices, ensuring they align with your professional objectives.
• Growth:?Working towards goals often involves learning and self-improvement. It encourages development and growth as you acquire new skills and experiences.

In a workplace, team members can collaboratively set goals, fostering a sense of inclusion and shared responsibility for the final outcomes. However, conducting regular goal reviews is crucial to ensure that you and your team are progressing in the right direction. This practice also ensures that the goals remain relevant and continue to motivate, driving sustained effort.

At Re:Set , our customized and scientifically-developed Well-Being Courses serve as a valuable resource for organizations aiming to enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Our courses have helped teams improve their focus, job satisfaction, and employee motivation. Explore the transformative impact of our courses on both personal and professional well-being.

How to gamify your goals

Goals are undoubtedly inspiring, but navigating them without a plan poses its own challenges. That's where games and challenges come in, infusing the perfect blend of structure, excitement, and thrill into the journey of achieving goals. By gamifying your objectives, you tap into your intrinsic motivation, fostering a genuine sense of achievement and enjoyment.

How it helps:

• Motivation:?Transform your tasks into quests, igniting a deep desire for achievement.
• Track progress:?Visual progress tracking of your goals clearly indicates how far you've come.
• Skill growth:?Gamifying your goals contributes to the continuous enhancement of your skills over time.
• Growth mindset:?It helps you embrace a mindset that learns from failures and persists through challenges.
• Engaging:?You feel a sense of joy being injected into work through gamification.
• Adaptability:?Gamified goals help you cultivate adaptability, preparing you for unpredictable situations.

Integrating gamification into work goals creates a dynamic and satisfying environment. Re:Set offers a gamified platform for employees that tracks individual progress and rewards your efforts and achievements with badges.??

Choose the right game:

Choosing the right game for goal setting depends on various factors, including the nature of your goals, preferences, and the overall work environment. Here are some considerations to help you select the right game for goal setting:

• Understand the goals:?Clearly define your objectives. For instance, if your goal is to enhance teamwork, consider games like "Escape Room Challenge," where collaboration is key.
• Balance challenge and skill:?Choose a game that helps you strike the right balance. A "Pomodoro Technique Challenge" can provide a suitable challenge without overwhelming time management goals.
• Incorporate rewards and recognition:?Opt for games with built-in reward systems. "Daily Quest Board" allows earning points and unlocking rewards, fostering a sense of accomplishment.
• Customization options:?Prioritize games that allow customization. "Skill Quests" enable tailoring your tasks to specific skill development needs for a personalized experience.
• Review and reconsider your game rules and structure:?Regularly assess your progress and adjust rules accordingly. For instance, in a "Race Against the Clock," consider adopting time limits based on evolving project requirements.
• Consider gamification platforms:?Explore platforms like Asana, where you can gamify task management. Customizable options make it adaptable to different work scenarios.

Remember that the goal-setting game should be a tool to enhance productivity, motivation, and collaboration. Regularly assess its impact and be open to adjustments based on feedback and evolving needs.

Some games for different goals:

For time management, consider:?

1. Pomodoro technique challenge:?Set short sprints of focused work using the Pomodoro Technique. Earn points for completing tasks within each time block.
2. Race against the clock:?Turn tasks into a race against time. Challenge yourself and team members to finish tasks within a set timeframe, earning rewards for early completion.
3. Task bingo:?Create a bingo card with various tasks. Completing a row or column within a set time is a win, encouraging efficient task completion.

To increase focus on essential tasks, try ?

1. The ideal day:?Write down your schedule for the "ideal day" – a day where you can focus only on what matters most to your work. This can help you fix workflow issues.?
2. Level up with milestones:?Assign different levels to tasks based on complexity. Completing higher-level tasks earns more points, allowing individuals to level up.
3. Task triage game:?Categorize tasks by priority and urgency. Earn points for successfully completing high-priority tasks first.

For increasing productivity, try?

1. Daily quests:?Create a list of daily tasks as "quests." Completing each quest earns you points or rewards.
2. Escape room challenge:?Framework tasks as puzzles to be solved. Completing each task successfully "unlocks" the next challenge or level.
3. Time-attack mode:?Set time limits for tasks and challenge individuals to complete them within the allocated time. Rewards can be based on how quickly they finish.

How to track progress

Elevate your goal-setting game by incorporating simple strategies that boost motivation and track progress effectively. Follow the 5 Rs of goal setting—Relevant, Realistic, Responsible, Resourced, and Reviewed.?

Setting daily milestones helps to stay focused and avoid losing track over time. Use goal-tracking software like Asana, Jira, or Todoist to represent your efforts visually. You can create a "wall of fame" to showcase your proudest moments. Reflect on achievements and lessons learned in regular sessions to do your best.?

Goal-setting games and activities add a fun, creative touch, enhancing productivity and signaling a commitment to personal and professional development. Explore Re:Set’s Well-Being Programs for a guided approach to achieving measurable growth and success. Transform your big plans into an engaging and transformative experience, setting the stage for a successful year ahead.