How Treating Life Like a Video Game Can Help You

hey—

Let’s talk about overwhelm.

Not the “I’ve got too much to do” kind.

But the kind that makes you feel like you’re already behind… even though you just started.

You open your phone, and boom. Everyone’s doing more. Growing faster. Crushing it.

And suddenly you’re sitting there thinking: Why am I not there yet? What am I doing wrong?

We live in a world wired for comparison. And that constant exposure? It doesn’t inspire.

It paralyzes.

It doesn’t mean you’re incapable. You’re just comparing your beginning to someone else’s middle.

You’re trying to start at level 50, when the real move is starting at level 1.

Think about it like this:

If you walked into the gym for the first time and tried to deadlift 500 pounds, you wouldn’t call yourself weak.

You’d call yourself a beginner.

Same thing with building discipline.

Same thing with starting a business.

Same thing with becoming the person you know you’re capable of being.

You’re not behind. You’re just at the beginning.

And beginnings don’t need pressure. They need a system.

Welcome to the Level 1 Method.

No one starts at Level 50. You start at Level 1.

You move through the basics. You build the skills. You stack the wins. And with every level, you unlock more capacity.

That’s how growth actually works. But most people miss this because they’re comparing their Level 1 to someone else’s Level 100.

Of course, it feels impossible. Of course,e it feels like you’re not enough.

Because you’re trying to fight a boss before you’ve even picked up your sword.

The Psychology of Flow

There’s a reason this matters.

According to research on Flow State by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (good luck pronouncing that name):

People hit peak performance when the challenge is just beyond their current ability, but not so far that it feels impossible.

If it’s too easy → you get bored. If it’s too hard → you get overwhelmed.

But if you hit that sweet spot? You lose the doubt. You gain the focus. You get into motion.

That’s how momentum builds.

Here’s how to use this today:

1. Start Where You Are

Pick a version of your goal that a video game would have on level 1. Make it stupid simple. But real.

2. Stack the Win

Let that one action shift your energy. Momentum compounds fast when it has a clean start. Focus on what’s in front of you.

3. Move to the Next Level

Now go one click higher. Repeat the process. Expand the challenge as your capacity grows.

This is how you move without burning out and getting stuck in comparison.

You're not late. You're just at the beginning of the game.

Start at Level 1.

Let the wins stack.

…

— Johnathan

(Creator of Striive)