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How to Gamify Your Career Decisions: 5 Ways to Guide Your Professional Path

Writer's picture: Sarah SagerSarah Sager


Career decisions are hard. There can be so much riding on a decision because it will change your life. Our professional life is deeply integrated into our identities in a capitalist society. Jobs can come and go. A career is the sum of your jobs, education, and, yes, your decisions.


Now that I have offered a significant amount of anxiety let me add that these career decisions are not that big of a deal either. Because there will always be decisions. Decisions like, “Do I keep applying even though I haven’t gotten an interview in months?” Or “Do I take this position for significantly smaller pay in a new city?” Or “Do I join a company known to exploit their employees?” I have been making decisions like these for decades, and I make these decisions by gamifying them.


Gamify Your Career

So, what do I mean by “gamify?” Gamification is when you apply game-like mechanics to things that aren’t games. For example, during the pandemic, people would race themselves to see how fast they could empty the dishwasher. It became a sport requiring coordination, precision, and a little humor during a dark time.


Here are five ways I gamify my career decisions:


Decide on Your Endgame

All games must end, and it helps to know when they will end. It can be something where you’re racing the clock, like basketball, or something where there is a definitive ending, like Monopoly. If you know when the game ends, you’ll also know when you win. You don’t want to trudge through these decisions aimlessly. As a winner, you want to be in control. Picturing yourself as a winner is motivation. It puts you in the winner’s mindset. 


In this case, the Endgame is when you have made your decision. It happens when there is a sense of finality and your path takes a turn. It may help to set up a little reward for making difficult decisions. You don’t have to do a big, show-stopping celebration. It can mean going to bed early or snacking on your favorite treat. It takes energy to make career decisions. Treat yourself like you just expended a significant amount of mental energy because chances are you did.


Identify Your Enemies

Enemies are sneaky. They can look like distractions, an applicant tracking system, or straight-up fear. Identifying them is the first step to fighting them. And when you’re fighting them, you’ll realize this enemy never gets tired and is exceptionally creative. These aren’t enemies you can defeat permanently, and it’s still possible to reach your Endgame even with their presence. Your enemies know you at least as well as you know yourself, so get the upper hand. Learn about your enemies, what makes them appear, what makes them stronger, and what makes them crumble.


It may seem a little silly to identify these things as your enemies. I want to remind you that this is now a game. You’re the hero, and heroes face challenges in games. Also, you know that games are beatable. Imagine yourself winning after fighting off your enemies. Research what it takes to fight your particular enemies, then do that.


Build Your Party

Community support is underrated when making a career choice. Telling your party members (or inner circle) what’s happening is extremely important because they know you the best. They’ll be the ones who catch something in the fine print, point out the angle you hadn’t considered, and hopefully stop you from making harmful decisions. This party can be 2-5 people, and they don’t have to know each other, they just have to have your best interests in mind.


Let’s say you don’t have a party. You’re not close enough to anyone who will discuss your decision. My first recommendation is to hire a coach. A career coach will have the experience to guide you and the professional interest in seeing you succeed. My second recommendation is to reach out. Look for someone a step beyond you professionally (LinkedIn is great for this) and seek their advice. Ask for their story and look for wisdom within it. Build a network of industry connections that know you as curious, thoughtful, and professional.


Main Quests vs Side Quests

Let me say this clearly: Both main and side quests are important. The way I see it, main quests move you forward, and side quests plant seeds so that you can move forward later. For example, finding a job with benefits might be a main quest, whereas a side quest could be engaging on LinkedIn for 10 minutes daily. Is your LinkedIn activity alone going to get you that job? Probably not. But if your profile is active, organized, and professional, it certainly won’t hurt your chances when a recruiter looks you up.


Now, it’s easy to get lost in the side quests. They’re usually easier and, therefore, can feel more productive, even though side quests don’t get you closer to your ultimate goal. Every so often (I recommend monthly), it’s a good idea to assess your quests and check that they all tie in together. 


Invite Your Heroes

How would Superman make his career decisions? How would he differ from Aang or Captain Picard? Sometimes, when you’re really stumped on a career decision, it’s easiest to ask what your hero would do. Superman would probably pick the fair option, Aang would likely pick the compassionate option, and Captain Picard might pick the exciting option. Looking at your decision through the eyes of someone you admire can help break it down to the core issue. 


Professional writers have created these beautifully complex characters for us to enjoy, so why not put them to work? It takes the burden off you and gives it to someone you trust. Your hero isn’t going to charge you hourly or yell at you for anything. Just have a conversation. Your hero also does not make the final decision for you. You have to own that decision. This is your game.


Start Game

Remember, there will always be decisions every single day. Some will be bigger than others, and some will be easier than others. If a decision is giving you a particularly hard time, try gamifying it by:


  1. Deciding on Your Endgame

  2. Identifying Your Enemies

  3. Building Your Party

  4. Balancing Main Quests and Side Quests

  5. Inviting Your Heroes


Life might not always feel like a game. That’s ok. When you choose to gamify a decision, it has to be with enthusiasm and determination. I wrote this to help you make decisions wholeheartedly so you know the right choice for you at that time. You may not always have time to consult your party or chat with your hero, so you must listen to your intuition (a.k.a. go with your gut). Protagonists often trust their intuition, and you my friend, are the protagonist of your life. So go out there and make some choices.


If these steps resonate with you, reach out for a free 15-minute call so you can learn more about me. I can learn more about your needs, and we can start a game plan. Schedule today right here.





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