Having a gaming framework around my writing has saved my bacon more times than I'd like to mention. When I published my first book, I realized I could write a second. That gave me control. This part of the game I knew I could win. It wasn't easy and the learning
curve was steep and yeah there were times that I wrote myself into a brick wall but I knew could win at this nonetheless.
This writing game was definitely time based. And the sooner I set tighter time restraints the better it was. I started to enjoy my writing more and my productivity skyrocketed.
Good games continually have new levels, new achievements, new enemies. We need to be stimulated to make this game 'ting' work. The challenges for me came from
my insistence to write in different genres and adapting to the requirements each of these varying disciplines required. It felt good knowing I could do it but at the same time it was not easy to pull off.
It still isn't but damn is it fulfilling when you do.
The next thing to consider is instead of “competing,” with people at my perceived skill-level, I compete with those who are where I want to be. And I'm blessed with so many
sublimely great writers that I can aspire to not just emulate them but work towards matching their skills. I routinely ask myself what would author Nalo Hopkins or Joe Hill do in these circumstance. And you may think I'm crazy but sometimes I get an answer.
Define a game around anything in your life that you consider important to you. If it is winnable create a framework of rules around its achievement. Make it challenging but fun. Don't take away difficulty add it. If your game is winnable, if it challenges you and excites you with a time frame attached to it then you are in for a lifetime of fun and achievement.