Gamify Your Goals: How to Make 2025 Your Most Fun and Productive Year Yet

As 2025 approaches, I bet you’re starting to think about what goals you want to set for the new year. Maybe you're excited, maybe you're feeling a little overwhelmed—whatever it is, you're not alone.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that feeling good or enjoying what you’re working on is closely linked to your success in it. Ever noticed that the tasks you enjoy seem to get done faster, almost effortlessly? But the ones you dread are often the ones that get dragged out or procrastinated on? I used to think achieving goals was all about willpower and resistance, but feeling good is a better way to go.

Feel Good Goals

This idea really clicked for me when I read Abdi Abdaal's book, Feel Good Productivity. He has this one simple but powerful question that he asks himself every time he’s facing a task: “What would this look like if it was fun?”

This turns any mundane task into an engaging journey you ACTUALLY WANT to take.

So, how can you apply this concept to your goals for 2025? How can you make them so irresistible and exciting that achieving them feels almost inevitable?

I stumbled upon a surprisingly powerful tool for goal-setting on what I like to call my modern-day research article—TikTok.

It introduced me to this concept called "bingoing" your goals. This is a playful, visual way to keep track of your progress.

Here’s how it goes:

Instead of the usual vision board with dream pictures and vague goals, grab a bingo card and write down your goals as well as processes needed to get there. Print it out and stick it somewhere you can see it every single day. Each square on the card represents either a goal, or a stepping stone to a goal, and every time you complete one, you get to cross it off. It’s oddly satisfying.

For example, let’s say one of your goals is to grow your TikTok following by 5,000 followers. You know you can’t just wish for it. You’ll need to post consistently, and for that, you’ll need a steady stream of high-quality videos ready to share. So one of your bingo squares could be “Batch make 10 TikTok videos twice a month.”

The satisfaction of seeing each square gradually getting ticked off is enough to fuel your progress but this is where things get really exciting…adding rewards ✨.

When you complete a row, treat yourself. Maybe it’s a bubble tea, a visit to a museum you’ve always wanted to see, or even a relaxing movie marathon at home.

And if you complete the entire grid? Reward yourself with a mega prize such as a trip to another country, or a new designer item.

The Secret To Achieving Your Goals

• Use gamification techniques such as the bingo card to keep the goal achievement process engaging

• Ensure you set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It’s about balance—make it fun, but also make it realistic.

• Keep your goals visible. Don’t just write them down and forget about them. Keep them somewhere you can see them every day. It’s a constant reminder of what you're working toward.

• Make a solid plan: Your goals aren't magically going to magically happen. You’ll need to strategise. For example, plan out when you’ll batch your content or set aside time to study that new programming language. Block it out in your calendar, and stick to it.

So, are you ready to start 'bingoing' your goals for 2025?

I’ve even created a free bingo card template to help you get started—download it here.

And for some extra inspiration, check out these resources:

• Ali Abdaal’s Feel Good Productivity

• The Year Compass booklet (it’s a great tool for reflecting and planning)

Here’s to making 2025 your best year yet.

Until next year,

Ruth