About this episode

Helen and Sarah debate the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing work productivity and personal motivation.

Are you a "track everything" person or a "just do the thing" person? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the world of gamification — and have a genuinely fun debate about whether it actually works for your career. Helen comes in as a convert (she gamifies her sleep, her deep sleep, her exercise, her steps, and possibly her vegetables). Sarah comes in as a sceptic. What unfolds is an honest, practical exploration of when gamification helps, when it doesn't, and how to design a game that works for you — not one that makes you feel judged by an app. 🎯 What You'll Learn – What gamification actually is and why it taps into some very human motivations – Four games you could play at work right now — from your to-do list to your energy, relationships and learning – Why the question to ask of any game is: does this make me feel more capable, or just more compliant? – How teams can play together without it turning into an uncomfortable competition – The rules of the game: how to design your own two-week experiment 📚 Resources Mentioned The Big Think Tim Harford's newsletter Squiggly Careers Skills Sprints For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback…

People in this episode

Hosts: Helen, Sarah

Topics covered

• gamification
• career development
• work productivity
• team dynamics
• personal motivation

Keywords

• gamification
• work week
• career
• motivation
• teamwork
• productivity
• personal development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Big Think, Squiggly Careers

Products: Skills Sprints

Books & works: Learn Like a Lobster

More episodes of Squiggly Careers

• Mentor with Your Talents, Not Your Title · April 22, 2026 · 10 min
• Draw Your Way to a Better Workday · April 20, 2026 · 39 min
• 3 Ways to Be More Persuasive at Work · April 15, 2026 · 8 min
• The Difference Between Working Hard and Getting Better | Big Think · April 13, 2026 · 32 min
• Squiggly Shortcut: Listen Like You Mean It (5 Ways to Improve) · April 8, 2026 · 8 min
• How to read with a learning mindset · April 6, 2026 · 35 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Squiggly Careers podcast page.