In a roleplaying game, you earn experience points as a metaphor for real-life experience.

You earn fake money because its meant to mimic the concept of real-life money.

Youre given a quest because, in real life, people work hard in pursuit of goals.

Games have these metrics and structures because the game istrying to imitate real life.

Real life doesnt require fake metrics.

You dont need to rack up XP, because youre gaining actual experience.

You dont need a fake quest, because youre on a real quest.

So lets look at some of the ways gamification of health habits can backfire.

Gamification is usually just manipulation, and it often has more downsides than benefits.

Instead of chasing game metrics, what if you put your attention onreal life outcomesof your habits?

Heres what I mean.

No health habit needs to be doneeveryday without fail.

Consistency in the long term is what matters to your body.

Streaks only matter to app developers.

Why do you think the Apple Watch wants you standing for 12 hours each day?

Itsso you wear their watch during all your waking hours.

The stand goal is programmed into the app because it benefits Apple, not you.

So how do you build consistency?

No, Im not just reinventing the streak.

(Shout-out to the Peloton app, which counts streakweeksinstead of days.)

In that case, a streak-keeping app would think youre a failure.

If those were days you flossed your teeth, youll finish the year with a much lower dental bill.

You get the idea.

I like to think of habits not as streaks on a calendar but as coins in a jar.

But…who cares about the people on that leaderboard?

If theyre not well-matched, you wont care about beating them.

And if theyre not your real friends, you wont care about their high-fives.

Now, heres another idea.

What if you had real teammates and gym buddies?

What if you signed up for a real competition?

Nobody is born with a deep, heartfelt desire to earn a digital badge.

So why did you join a gym, if not for the digital badges?

Probably because you wanted to get fit.

Well, what does fit mean to you?

Squatting a certain weight?

Hiking without needing to stop and rest?

Shoveling your driveway without spending the whole next day on the couch?

Whatever it is, thats your Big Goal.

Next, you need some little process goals.

You have to squat 200 pounds before you squat 500.

You have to follow a good training program to bring your squat up at all.

You dont need streaks or badges or check-ins to do any of that.

You dont need to chase a fake goal to be able to chase the real goal.

Just go after the real thing, and cut out the digital middleman.