This brings us to our next fix for reality: FIX # 3 : MORE SATISFYING WORK Compared with games, reality is unproductive. Games give us clearer missions and more satisfying, hands-on work. Satisfying work always starts with two things: a clear goal and actionable next steps toward achieving that goal. Having a clear goal motivates us to act: we know what we’re supposed to do. And actionable next steps ensure that we can make progress toward the goal immediately. What if we have a clear goal, but we aren’t sure how to go about achieving it? Then it’s not work—it’s a problem . Now, there’s nothing wrong with having interesting problems to solve; it can be quite engaging. But it doesn’t necessarily lead to satisfaction. In the absence of actionable steps, our motivation to solve a problem might not be enough to make real progress. Well-designed work, on the other hand, leaves no doubt that progress will be made.
Why is work so unsatisfying for many as compared to games? For many sometimes, the goal or objective of what they are doing might not be clear. Even so, the objective might be so abstract (i.e raise sales/dominate market) that someone at the lower rungs can’t possibly see how they can take any steps to work toward that. Not to mention, these are just the fundamental aspects of satisfying work, and that many other factors such as lack of autonomy, unfriendly work environment among many others that can make the prospect of work terrible and unsatisfying for many.
