Win life by playing video games

This was me when I was 13.

I wasn’t born a “Chad".

Shocking I know.

Every chance I could, I would hop on my Xbox and play Call of Duty until it was 4am.

Video games were my escape from life.

When I played video games, I could be anyone I wanted in life. I felt the dopamine rush of progressing to new levels (and talking trash to other 13 year olds online).

But real life?

That was another story.

For many years, I felt like life was one big confusing game where I was perpetually stuck on level one.

Watching from the sidelines as others effortlessly level up, travel to new and exotic levels, and unlock rewards of money and power.

Meanwhile, I was left battling the same old monsters of doubt, confusion, and mediocrity.

But today, I travel all over the world, surrounded by amazing friends, and live a life of complete freedom.

So…

What changed?

The video games I played.

Lemme explain…

Video games and life aren’t too different. You start at level 1, gain experience, unlock new gear, take on bigger challenges, and unlock new levels.

And because these principles are so similar, you can apply it your life to make progressing feel fun.

So if you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed, lost, or just plain stuck in a loop, I’ve got a game plan for you.

In today’s email, I’m going to give you the cheat code to getting ahead of 99% of people by turning your life into a video game.

The 6 Levels To The Game

This is the 6 step process I’ve used in my own life and what has worked for me.

It’s what has allowed me to travel the world and get paid to write tweets in my underwear.

However, it’s important to remember: there are 0 rules to this video game we call life.

Take what works, drop what doesn’t, and play the game how you see fit.

Step 1: Character Creation

Every role-playing-video game starts off with character creation.

Now, I hate to say it, but you can’t pick where you start in the video game, or go back in time and change your genetics to get a chiseled jawline and impeccable eyebrows like myself.

But you can choose which character you want to play as going forward.

You can pick classes like a warrior, mage, or an archer.

Each class with its own unique abilities and strengths.

So, take a pen and 3 pieces of paper.

Now, on the first piece of paper, you’re going to list out all of your skills and traits.

Good and bad.

It’s for your own good, so be brutally honest here.

Then on the second piece of paper, in vivid detail, I want you to describe your ideal life 10 years from now.

• Who’s in your life?

• Where are you living?

• How much money are you making?

• What does your ideal day look like?

• What does your ideal body look like (is it sexy af)?

Spend 30 minutes or spend 4 hours if you need to.

Just make sure to really visualize this future and go into as much detail as possible.

Now, on the third piece of paper, you’re going to write down who you have to become to attain that life.

What traits and skills do you have to adopt?

Compare it with your first page and list out the traits and habits you need to drop and which ones you need to double down on.

And this isn’t some woo woo type stuff.

You’re setting your intentions for your life. Without clear intentions, it’s like you’re trying to get to an unknown destination without a map.

When you’re clear on where you’re going, the path to success become clear.

You know what road you need to take and can course correct when you stray off the path.

Take the time to do this.

Step 2: Pick Your Powers

So now that you’ve created your character, it’s time to pick your special abilities.

Depending on what character you want to become, there are various skills you can specialize in – marketing, videography, fitness, and more.

For example, if you’re passionate about marketing, think of yourself as a “Marketing Mage.”

Your spells might include content creation and writing.

But to cast these spells effectively, you need to train and practice.

Which is why you need to consider 2 things when picking your powers:

1) What are you interested in?

The big myth is that you need to be skilled right out the gate.

But everyone starts their video game at level 0.

If you have interest, you’ll enjoy learning, which will translate to consistency, and if you’re consistent, you’ll become highly skilled over time.

2) Does it move you closer to your dream life?

thing you need to consider is if the power you’re choosing to level up in is going to get you closer to your dream life.

So let’s say you want to build a wildly successful online personal training business.

Placing all your focus into learning carpentry probably isn’t the best choice.

Even if you may like it, it’s more of a side quest for down the line.

You have limited focus, so you need to pick your special powers wisely.

Step 3: Find Mentors To Guide You

In every role-playing game, you’re given a quest by a wiser and more experienced guide.

Without the quests given by mentors, you’ll be aimlessly wandering.

So to progress in the game of life, finding mentors who have played the game is one of the best cheat codes.

They won’t play the game for you, but they will give you a path to follow so you don’t get lost while trying to level up.

Now, the fastest way to level up is paying to get direct access to a mentor.

But this typically costs thousands of dollars, and you may not have that starting out (which is totally fine).

If that’s the case, you can get indirect mentorship in the form of:

• Books

• Courses

• Podcasts

• YouTube videos

Pick what suits you best.

Step 4: Level Up Your Skills

In video games, you can’t defeat a level 50 boss when you’re still at level 1.

Similarly, in business, you can’t tackle big challenges without first leveling up your skills.

So, pick a skill you have an interest in, like sales, exercise, or writing, and dedicate the next 6-12 months to progressing in it.

Block out 1-3 hours a day to practice your craft.

At first you’ll suck, but over time you’ll gain more experience points and level up.

Now, the secret to becoming addicted to progressing in life is gamification.

When you can see yourself improving, it triggers dopamine in your brain.

And this feeling says “hey this feels good, let’s keep doing it.”

So if you’re trying to level up in fitness, track your workouts.

If you’re trying to level up in writing, track your word count.

If you’re trying to level up in your business, track your sales.

You’ll unlock next level motivation trying to continuously beat your high scores.

Step 5: Network with Others and Build a Party

You can go on your quest alone, but it’s 10x easier when you have others fighting alongside with you.

You might be skilled in one area, but having people in your network who are skilled in other areas will help make up for your weaknesses.

Together, you can take on bigger bosses and challenges.

Over the 3 years I’ve been growing online, I’ve made friends who are experts in all kinds of industries.

So if I ever need help with sales, marketing, or anything else, I can hit them up.

And not just for technical help, but also support during periods of high-stress.

I guarantee there’s going to be a ton of hurdles thrown your way, so when you start your journey, reach out to others on similar quests.

DM people you vibe with, join communities with similar interests, meet up with people and hop on calls.

When you have a network of people on your journey, you’ll hold each other accountable, share insights, and level up a helluva lot faster.

Step 6: Focus on Your Main Quest

In the modern world, distractions from your main quest are abundant.

And as you level up, these distracting side quests become more frequent and more compelling.

Maybe it’s a seemingly lucrative business deal or simply a new hobby.

Now it’s crucial to remain open to new things in life, but it’s equally crucial to know the difference between genuine opportunities and distractions.

Because every new thing and person you introduce in your life is time, energy, and focus that’s diverted from your main quest.

I relate this back to my online business.

If I would have bounced around from ghostwriting, to Amazon FBA, to web design, I wouldn’t have developed depth in one business and experienced the compounding that catapulted my career.

Make sure to keep that in the back of your mind as you continue on your journey.

Now, if you want to apply this framework to life to make money, I created a YouTube video showing you how I hit my first $10,000+ month within 1 year.

It goes into detail on:

• What I did

• How I did it (step-by-step)

• How you can do the same

My first official YouTube video drops this Friday.

You can subscribe here so you don’t miss it.

Your Canadian Friend,

Dakota “The Gaming Nerd” Robertson

P.S.

Reply back with any topics or ideas you’d like to see me make a video on in the future.