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June 27, 2023 53 mins

“If you see your life as a game, then everything feels different.” Today, Yu-kai Chou (Author & Founder of The Octalysis Group & Metablox) joins us to talk about why fun is an important part of gaining motivation, creating long-lasting habits, and achieving greater happiness. He breaks down the 8 core drivers of motivation, which you can use to maintain momentum and stay engaged with your healthy habits (for the long run). Sorry, but hope and willpower have no place here. Tune in to learn how gamification can help you move the needle!


Meet Yu-kai Chou:

Yu-kai Chou is an Author and International Keynote Speaker on Gamification and Behavioral Design. He is the Author of Actionable Gamification and the Founder of The Octalysis Group as well as Metablox. His design work has empowered over 1 Billion users’ experiences and was rated #1 among the “Top 100 Gamification Gurus” in the world. Yu-kai was also Chief Experience Officer in Decentral, working with Ethereum Cofounder Anthony Di Iorio, as well as Head of Creative Labs/Digital Commerce for HTC, pioneering VIVE VR and the Metaverse.


Episode Highlights:

  • Yu-kai’s game objective is creating the most impact possible while having fun. If you’re not having fun, why are you doing it? (04:40)

  • You will become truly successful when you’re doing what you love on a regular basis. (10:03)

  • The 8 core drivers of motivation in Yu-kai’s Octalysis Framework: Epic Meaning & Calling, Development & Accomplishment, Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback, Ownership & Possession, Social Influence & Relatedness, Scarcity & Impatience, Unpredictability & Curiosity, and Loss & Avoidance (12:38)

  • As long as you feel like you’re progressing, you’ll stay motivated. Once you lose a sense of progression, your motivation can decrease. (17:21)

  • One of the most effective ways to maintain momentum (or a habit) is keeping a streak. Creating a streak is not about how well you do at your habit, it’s about how consistent you are. Streaks train your brain to check in every day, otherwise you lose the momentum. To avoid burnout/frustration from losing a streak, build a vacation/rest day into it! (31:52)

  • Happiness is growth, but it’s also balance. Happiness is not all about money and career, it requires a holistic approach where you work on your physical health, mindset, emotional health, relationships, and more. What current habits do you have in each of these that aren’t helping you? How can you replace them with different habits and gamify them to achieve greater happiness in life? (41:10)


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