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I assume you want to improve your life or the lives of those around you.

After all, you're reading a newsletter about improving your freedom.

So, let's take the first step to get you there.

I believe life is filled with games, and we must choose the right games to live a free life.

I feel miserable if I play games that are not fun, like a boring job.

But I feel energized if I play thrilling and fun games like exploring a new country.

I want to design my life so that I only play energizing games.

The first step to improving anything is always to understand it.

So, to improve my life, I need to understand why it is as it is.

I want to focus only on understanding the games in my life today.

Why do I like some games, and why do others drain me?

It all comes down to motivation.

Understanding what motivates me is the key to playing more energizing games.

After all, we only have fun or gain energy from an activity when we're motivated enough to do it.

Remember when you had to do your homework in school?

The homework for your favourite class and teacher was easy.

On the other hand, the homework for the boring classes was a pain in the ass, right?

Now, decades later, I know why it was so difficult and how my school life could have been entirely different.

Let me show you how to use this knowledge for your life today.

Know what motivates you

The first step is always to understand the problem.

In this case, we must understand why we like or dislike a game.

Here is a framework I have used for years to gain more clarity about what motivates me.

This framework is called the Gamer Motivation Profile.

I adapted this framework for work and real-life applications in my Complete Gamify Work System.

There, I created a test to get to know my motivation profile.

Feel free to copy and use my system for free.

The Gamer Motivation Model has six categories with two subcategories each.

A mix of these categories influences you at any point.

Some motivate you, some demotivate you.

As a result, you either have an easy time doing an activity, or it is the hardest thing you have ever done.

Let's understand each of the motivators and how they can act demotivating for you.

Action

If you're motivated by action, you like it when things are fast, loud, bright and change quickly.

You probably also like it if things go BOOM and are more chaotic.

Now imagine yourself in an assembly line where you do the same simple task repeatedly, every day.

That's probably hell for you.

To improve your life, try to eradicate all monotonous activities.

Replace them with activities that are thrilling, active and ever-changing.

Also, don't set too many rules for yourself and embrace the chaos.

Social

Are activities more fun for you when you do them together with others?

Or you love competing against another person to see who is better.

Then, you're strongly motivated by the social category.

You may be having difficulty getting things done when you're alone.

You can't concentrate when you don't have another person beside you.

Or you get bored if you can't put your performance in relation to someone else.

Try to make all your activities more social.

How could you do this as a group?

Or is there someone else who does the same task who you can race for completion?

Mastery

I love to solve problems.

The more complex, the better.

I could sink hours and hours into finding solutions and planning them out in detail.

If that is also you and no challenge is too great for you, you are motivated by mastery.

After all, you're a lifelong learner, right?

When the tasks given to you are too straightforward, this bores you quickly.

Design work from the 4D framework is the right work for you.

Try to avoid doing work where you can't improve anything anymore.

Achievement

A close relative to mastery is the achievement category.

When achievement motivates you, you thrive on checking off items on your to-do list.

Also, holding a lot of responsibility or freedom of choice might thrill you more than others.

It frustrates you when you can't see a project through to the end.

And if your voice isn't heard, it infuriates you.

For maximum fun, try to get into a position where you can participate in decision-making.

It can also help you avoid switching tasks, projects, or activities too much.

Finish them sequentially.

This will make you even more productive, feeding your mastery inclination if you have one.

Immersion

When I talk about immersion here, I mean the daily fantasies and stories we're part of.

Maybe you're thrilled whenever you hear what your colleagues did this weekend.

You may also be exhilarated by the epic story your life has been and will be in the coming year.

Maybe you also rally behind your company's strong vision to change the world.

All of these are signs that you're motivated by being immersed.

You probably get bored when nothing new is happening around you.

If you don't get enough information about a decision or the why behind a task, you lose interest.

Immersion often will be connected with social or action motivations.

To maximize your joy in an activity, find the stories behind them and fantasize about their implications.

Don't be afraid to be a dreamer.

Dreamers shaped this world, and it will only change through dreamers.

Creativity

Last but not least, being able to express yourself and exploring new things can be a big driver.

Is it important to you to do things your way and show others who you are?

Or are you constantly asking questions and can't satisfy your curiosity?

Then, you're probably motivated by creativity.

Doing activities where you can't learn anything new will bore you to death.

If there is only one way to do a task, it will be challenging for you to finish it, even if it is easy.

Again, the Design type of work from the 4D framework is excellent for you in this case.

Try to avoid everything that is limiting your freedom and decision-making too much.

And do more things where you can find answers to the questions in your head.

This will maximize your fun.

This should give you a good insight into what motivates and demotivates you.

Of course, this article covers only the surface; you can explore each category more deeply.

The deeper you go, the easier it will be to design a life worth living.

This motivation model is also invaluable when you're leading a team.

Every person is motivated and demotivated by different factors.

Knowing them can help you supercharge the productivity of your team.

Do you find cases in your life that don't fit this model?

Or do you see yourself a lot clearer now?

Let me know what you think on LinkedIn.

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