How Habitica Is Changing the Game

Today's shower thought is dedicated to taking a look at the how Habitica is changing the game and for task tracking.

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Habitica is a new app that the gang started playing which connects the idea of task tracking with rpg avatars.  The novelty is that as you complete your self-assigned tasks, you also gain the ability to find and equip stronger gear, and hatch magical beasts to up your swagger.  As you gain more levels and equipment, you are able to tackle 'quests' which lets you and a party fight 'monsters' to get even bigger awards.  But you also have to fight yourself, as you are able to put negative tasks and habits that will take away from your life.  Assigning yourself tasks and not doing them is also detrimental to your health.

You can already see how this can get easily addicting.  Create tasks, get the satisfaction of earning something for completing them, and be rewarded in the form of in-game currency and drops.

What I find interesting about this app is that while the task tracking basis of the app is bare minimum, and at sometimes frustrating to reflect your intention, what it does excel at is motivating you to complete tasks by having that reflection component.

1. The app keeps track of your 'health', which is a direct relation to how you are keeping up with your priorities.  In times that you are doing well, your health stays strong, while when you are missing tasks, your health begins to drop.  This lends itself to a couple situations: Either complete more of your tasks, or to dedicate yourself to fewer expectations.  At the end of the day, it will help you balance yourself out and you can find what works best with what you have.

2. Motivates you to add more things you'd like to do, and allows you to reward yourself by incentivizing completion of such tasks.  Do good, get rewarded.  Pretty simple.

3. Tasks are Social now.  By completing tasks in a party, you are helping your friends complete the mission.  It's been researched that by helping others, you are generally more happier than helping yourself.