You are about to play a new video game. The character customisation screen loads up and the character is you. On the screen is a perfect digital representation of your current self with the same haircut, same clothes, same everything.
The game is a simulation style game where your character progresses does all the activities that exist in the real world. Getting a job, going to work, making money, making friends, socialising, exercising, eating, drinking, shopping. All the things you have to do in real life.
To win the game your character must achieve whatever it is that you want out of your life. If you want to become a millionaire then you win the game once your bank balance in the game reaches 7 figures. If you want to become a rock star then you win when you’re up on stage performing to a sell out crowd.
Decide how to win your game before you go any further with this. If you’re struggling to choose want out of life then perhaps you’re thinking too big? This exercise works just as well when your definition of winning is “being more confident” or “stop eating donuts”. And remember, you can play the game again any time you want so don’t get too hung up about how to win, just pick whatever you think feels OK.
Now that you know how to win the game you get to choose perks for your character. You can add an unlimited amount of perks, the more perks the better because they’re gonna help you win. The only rule is that your perks must be realistic. You can’t have the “fly like Superman” perk or the “unlimited money” perk, or the “mind reader” perk. Perks must be realistic.
“Nerves of steel” is a realistic perk which you can have if you want. “Unlimited motivation” is another. “Zero fear of rejection” is a good one you can have, or how about the “Loves to exercise” perk if you want to get in shape? And while we’re at it lets have the “Junk food tastes disgusting” perk because that’ll make it very easy to maintain a good healthy diet.
Get all the perks you can think of, every single thing that will make you win the game, the more perks the better. You might want to write them down if you have too many to remember. Now consider your list of perks and accept that it is your duty in real life to obtain as many of these perks as you can. Some will be harder to obtain than others. Perhaps some things you can obtain right now with just a decisive change in your attitude? Perhaps some other things will require many years of mental effort to achieve?
Perhaps once you have made your million and achieved your goal in real life you’ll find that wasn’t the way to win the game after all? Perhaps getting all the perks was the way to win all along?