2026: Gamify your Motivation & Make the Complex Simple

January 1st is just another day.

So is your birthday.

So are anniversaries.

The cynical part of you rolls its eyes at the idea that a random square on a calendar could somehow be the moment when everything changes. Why decide that this is the day to start?

So what’s the point?

Why even begin?

Funny enough — that is the point.

Read one book each month.Beach body by July!

Try one new recipe each week.

Write in my journal for 30 straight days.

Run a marathon by December!

The timeline is the hack.

A clear deadline creates urgency. Suddenly, time is finite. The goal stops being abstract and becomes something that demands action.

We have to start now.

Video games figured this out long ago — what we now call gamification. It’s the art of creating small challenges just beyond our current ability, pushing us to grow in order to reach the next level. Complete the task, earn a badge or prize (hello dopamine!), and then take on the next challenge.

This idea isn’t new. We’ve seen it forever — from the Girl Scouts, to the military, and yes… even Donkey Kong.

Make the complex simple.

That’s become one of my favorite mantras, and it was a core message this season as the St. Louis University Men’s Soccer team made an improbable run to the NCAA College Cup. Through preseason, conference play, and deep into the NCAA tournament, we kept returning to that idea.

Instead of getting distracted by the destination, we focused on the next step.

We even used a mountain metaphor to ground the team in the present moment — so they wouldn’t get overwhelmed by the distance or difficulty of the climb.

“How in the heck are we going to get all the way up there?” …became…“Have a good training today. Get better. Focus on tomorrow’s opponent.”

Simple — not easy.

And incredibly effective.

Our goals, intentions, and desires are no different.

The key is to hold the destination lightly, then break the journey into small, daily behaviors.

In 2024, I set a goal to write my second book.

When I thought about everything involved — months of writing and rewriting, edits, cover design, publishing — the weight of it all felt overwhelming. Motivation disappeared almost instantly.

So I simplified it.

My only rule was to spend 10 minutes a day working on the book, with weekends off. Writing counted. Editing counted. Thinking, outlining, or taking notes counted.

Some days, 10 minutes was all I had.

Most days, once I started, 10 minutes became 15… then 20… then an hour… until it turned into, “I need to stop—I have a call in five minutes!”

Of course, there were also plenty of days filled with:

“This book stinks.”

“No one will want this.”

“Why am I wasting my time?”

“Is 10 minutes up yet?”

But here’s the thing —it’s 10 minutes.

Who doesn’t have 10 minutes?

I couldn’t fathom finishing the book — but I could always find 10 minutes.

By August 2024, the first draft was done.

By October, edits were complete.

In November, the cover was finalized.

On December 14th, 2024, I hit publish.

Hundreds of small steps led to an accomplishment I’m incredibly proud of.

And how did it happen?

Ten minutes at a time.

I made the complex simple.

So as we breeze past the easy motivation of the first few weeks of 2026, I’ll ask you:

What do you want to do?

What challenge excites you?

What priority have you been putting off?

What if you started today?

Do you have 10 minutes?

Ten minutes to build momentum.

Ten minutes to say, “I did the work today. That is enough.”

Yeah — you do.

And if you need a boost along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out.

—Travis