As board gamers, time spent not playing a board game is time wasted. Where’s the excitement and intrigue in grocery shopping? The deduction and reasoning in Netflix and chilling? The random number generation in your divorce settlement hearing? Going gameless for too long is simply too much to bear. Thankfully, the concept of gamification is here to rescue us from the daily doldrums. Gamification has made its way into productivity apps and workplace outings, but why can’t it permeate even further? Here are a few ways to insert gamification into everyday life to truly live the dream…

Set multiple alarms

Since the dawn of sand, many games have included miniature hourglasses to act as round timers to keep the action moving forward. No time to luxuriate on decisions; there are games to play and turns to take! But what might seem annoying at first is actually an incredible time-saving hack—if given unlimited time to complete an action, most people will take far more time than is truly necessary. Keep yourself on track by using the latest, hottest trend in hyper-developed mobile technology: the clock. Set alarms in the morning. Set alarms in the evening. Set alarms at suppertime (because when alarms are on a bagel, you can eat alarms anytime). Some might have an explicit purpose while others could simply serve as reminders that another alarm is forthcoming or obscure the nefarious purpose behind a vague time period. No matter: beeps are the new motivational soundtrack.

Complete Microtransactions

If you play a mobile version of a board game for years and never impulsively purchase a new weapon or purely cosmetic upgrade, did you really play the game at all? Microtransactions have overtaken apps of all stripes as a means to throw a few bucks around like a high roller at the penny craps table, and the system works because it provides the occasional dopamine hit and keeps you coming back. By utilizing this system in your daily life, you guarantee that motivation to succeed will remain at peak levels regardless of your ability to guilt yourself. Consider vending machines your friend, catcalling your partner, or backhanded compliments your ride-or-die. 

Divine Meaning From the Cards

When you get right down to it, what does “Do not pass Go, do not collect $200” really mean? The mysteries hidden between the lines have evaded top gameologists for centuries, but you can use that level of mystique to your advantage by letting cards guide your actions and seeing what shakes out. Notecards containing handwritten messages from your past self—often scrawled while heavily intoxicated—provide some cryptic clues, but to truly let yourself be overtaken by the whims of a game, consider purchasing a few basic decks of playing cards. Tough decision to make? Shuffle up and pick a card. It’s an eight of clubs? Well, sounds like you ate a bad club sandwich and need to take the day off work, or perhaps you are slowly transforming into an octopus who golfs. Let the cards be your guide! And, well, don’t forget to take your anti-psychotics.