Hi Everyone,
I wanted to take some time to share an app that I have been using recently and that I think could have a positive impact both inside and outside of a classroom setting.
For context, there are a few skills I believe I have mastered over the course of my life thus far. Chief among them is that I have mastered the art of procrastination. It has taken many years of lack of practice and very little hard work but I can confidently say, when it comes to checking out and avoiding completion of a task, I am able to do so and feel little to no guilt anymore. Unfortunately, most colleagues and employers do not value a skill like that and as such I have had to find creative ways in which to keep myself focused. Case in point, I had started working on this contribution to the Mobile Technologies section last week and am only just finishing it now.
My guilty pleasure of choice when not engaging in much of anything has always been video games. I could check-out of the real-world for hours in order to reach a new level or progress a little bit further in a digital world. Recently, I have had to significantly cut back on my time in digital worlds and it led me to thinking about why I found these games so engaging and I realized it was the progression of the characters in my games. Getting stronger, earning more currency, or overcoming a once seemingly impossible obstacle. The more I reflected on it, the more thought, “If I could only apply that dedication to developing myself.” Well, evidently, I was not the only one who thought like this. In my research, I discovered a few apps which aim to gamify your life; one of which I would like to share with you.
Habitica
Habitica is a free app (with in-application purchases, though they are purely aesthetic and have no impact on the functionality of the app as a whole) that allows you to gamify your daily routines and habits.
The video below will walk you through a review and introduction to the application. A few notes about the video below: the mobile application has been dramatically improved since and the speaker rarely blinks so the constant eye-contact can be a bit unsettling.
I have been using the app for a few weeks now and, though I was skeptical at first due to my previously mentioned expertise at avoiding responsibilities, it has become dangerously effective. I am constantly making sure that I am completing my daily activities like coursework or exercising, because I want to see my character develop and progress. My only mistake was giving my wife access to my account so she could input various to-do activities that I needed to complete. She got a little carried away with it though and I had to remind her that spring cleaning happens once a year, usually around spring, and not everyday.
Habitica link: https://habitica.com/static/home
Gamify Your Life
If you are interested in other ways in which you can gamify your life, I would highly recommend the video below. The speaker’s energy can be a little over the top but she has some great suggestions for different apps.
I would highly encourage everyone to try Habitica out for a week or even better, if you are a classroom teacher like me, have your students try it out. See if it improves the effort and completion rate of assignments.
I would love to hear your experiences as you try-out the application!
I am also curious to know if you have any other experience with gamifying apps for improving habits and productivity. Please share below if you know of any. I would love to try them out!
After downloading and maneuvering around the app, I love that Habitica is personalized to the individual lifestyles of the user. It reminds me a little of OPTIMITY. Though, optimity is a walking/ steps application where you earn coins and badges based on the different step goals they set to trade for coupons or gift cards. Gamification for me, works best when there’s also a physical reward in order to keep my attention for longer. Though, I feel, this is also the reason why some ppl place bets In sporting games to make their time watching more worth while (I’ve heard this from a true sport gambler). I do find that both apps have little to no glitches on a mobile phone and is easy to manipulate. Unlike our current use of this blog which still gives me problems as it isn’t completely mobile friendly.
I think this would be a great app in a healthy lifestyle and goal tracking unit for Career Life Education. As planning, goal-setting and health are important curricular competencies in this course, having students try this to self-manage can be very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Gamification and incentivizing are fantastic ways to move away from the mundane. Thanks for sharing.
What a cool idea! I’m going to download it and try it out as I’m intrigued as a non-procrastinator who is surrounded by procrastinators in my household, this might give me some insight into how they operate 🙂 I would be interested to see if this can be used by a class of students, or by a staff of teachers in a school so I will see how it goes and then provide an update on how I think I can apply it in my professional life, thanks!
Hi Asha, My wife says the same thing! She is surrounded by procrastinators. I have given her access to the app and she has been dumping tasks in for me to complete. It has actually worked out well for both of us as it has eliminated the “discussion” about doing something such as cleaning the garage or replacing a light bulb. Now it just pops up on the app at any time and I try to get it done by the end of the day. Let me know how it works for you in your household!
I mean… how else are things going to get done and how are you going to accessorize your avatar! i got my partner to try this app because he always complains how his list of to-dos is so long. And day after day, he still talks about the same tasks that has to be done. I think I’ll try it at work because from now until February, I have a lot to prepare and do! It seems like a nice way of incorporating play and work.
Thanks for this Ben!!! I am thrilled to be downloading and trying this app. After attempting it for a while (and if I find it effective) I will share it with my students. Procrastination is a new skill of mine… mostly developed since covid and using the “feeling sorry for myself” as a reason to not get my butt in gear (fitness, work, social life, etc.). I am at a point where something like this could make a notable difference and will report back if I find that’s the case 🙂
Hi Tegan, I’m glad you are trying out the app! It has been a really great experience for me especially as we approach the end of this term and have more and more objectives to complete. Please let me know your experiences as they develop!