Doctorate and gamification: turn your research into a game that motivates you

Making your way in the world of doctoral studies when you are over 35 is a major challenge that involves high demands, especially when you are trying to combine it with family and work obligations. Many professionals reach a point where they have perfectly justified doubts, such as: Will I be able to stay motivated for the three to five years that this research will take? How can I avoid burnout when my personal and professional lives take up so much of my time?

The answers to these questions may lie in the application of an innovative approach, such as gamification. A concept that is becoming increasingly relevant in the educational and corporate spheres, gamification involves integrating game dynamics into a non-playful context. Applied to doctoral studies, gamification will transform your academic goals into something more achievable, allowing you to celebrate your accomplishments and stay motivated throughout the different stages of this journey.

From expectations to clear goals

When you are taking your first steps, it is normal for other questions to arise in your mind: Is it possible to organize my time without neglecting my job? Am I disciplined enough to sustain writing a thesis? Will all this be worth years of effort? It is completely normal to feel fear or uncertainty about the future, but the important thing is to set goals.

UNESCO (2023) tells us that only 1.1% of the world's population completes a doctorate. A doctorate is a great challenge; however, to counterbalance this, OECD Education at a Glance (2022) showed us that those who achieve this academic level are 26% more likely to access advanced research or management positions.

This is where gamification can make a difference. Don't see a doctorate as a task of enormous proportions; you can play around with it a bit and divide it into levels or missions. At the first level, you could consider submitting your first research proposal; at the second level, you could present a paper at a conference; and finally, at level three, the phase that involves defending all your research progress, your thesis.

In addition, for each of these levels you pass, it is important to have a personal reward (something special, a day off, a long-awaited trip, or a delicious meal). This way, you will not only measure your academic progress, but also enjoy each achievement, even if it is only intermediate.

In the course of this process, gamification to combat fatigue, anxiety, and loneliness

It is no secret that a huge percentage of online doctoral students over the age of 35 struggle with the ravages of combining research and work. This is supported by the European Association of Distance Universities (2022), which tells us that 41% of virtual doctoral students find themselves in this situation. Given these conditions, it is natural that there are setbacks such as work overload, feeling academically isolated, and, most dangerously, mental and physical fatigue.

In research conducted by Times Higher Education, 68% of doctoral students consider time management to be one of their greatest difficulties. In this regard, gamification becomes a great ally with the ability to make everything more practical. Consider the following ways to apply it.

1. Daily points and rewards systems:
You can assign points to each small task, such as reading 20 pages, which could be equal to 10 points; writing 500 words could be equal to 20 points. Upon reaching a certain weekly score, you can earn a reward.

2. Board to visualize your progress:
This is much easier with the use of digital applications or a physical whiteboard to record any progress you make. Having these reminders in front of your eyes will motivate you to raise the bar, much more than a to-do list would.

3. Have support networks as teams to play with:
It will always be important to join doctoral groups, whether in virtual forums, online seminars, or, of course, academic communities. Similar to the strategy used in some video games, you advance better as a team. Sharing experiences and difficulties is a practice that will allow you to better face the obstacles that arise, as you will develop a high degree of resilience.

4. Avoid multitasking:
the American Psychological Association indicates that multitasking reduces productivity by 40%. It would be much better to concentrate each task into small blocks of time of approximately 90 minutes, which will increase concentration.

This does not mean that gamifying your research routine will eliminate the complexity of it all from your life, but it will change the way you perceive and overcome it. In other words, you will no longer see it as a difficult or exhausting process, but as a challenging game that you can successfully complete.

Graduation is coming: the next level in the game toward success.

Success, theoretically, is at that point where you have achieved your goal, won the title, and completed this marathon of a mental game. But then, after defending your thesis, you may find yourself in a kind of void, along with questions such as “What now?” which begin to capture your attention and prevent you from moving forward. Now, however, is when the significance of video games comes into play as the perfect example. Because when you finish the game, they will likely add a new one, an update, or a new level.

Also, try to stay in touch with academia; you can publish some articles based on your thesis, be open to participating in conferences, or possibly seek collaboration in international research networks. All of your accumulated experience will give you the “unlocked power” that you must use strategically.

What will bring you success is transforming your research into a project that can be applied. Deloitte (2022) states that 48% of organizations value promoting employees with advanced research skills. You should use everything at your disposal to innovate within your field, sector, and company.

So don't be afraid to consider teaching or mentoring; there are several universities looking for candidates with a PhD and work experience. Mentoring other students could become your next mission.

Transform your PhD with the Power of Atomic Habits. It is a good idea to continue expanding your network of contacts; the entire online doctoral and postdoctoral community is very active globally. Maintaining close ties with acquaintances throughout your career opens doors to potential international collaborations, joint projects, and other professional opportunities.

And finally... There is one more level to tackle, another boss to overcome, and that is the postdoctoral stage. If you are interested in furthering your research, this is a stage that will allow you to publish even more, establish yourself as an expert, and significantly expand your international network.

Doctorate and tangible opportunities

It is normal for curiosity to arise after this enormous challenge, the emptiness of wondering what will come next. This is something that many graduates face, a kind of academic void, where all those routines that for many years provided a solid structure to cling to are no longer there. But far from being something that brings you down, you should take it as an opportunity to set new goals to achieve.

It is always good to see all of this reflected in people who are examples of success, such as the story of Ricles Thomas, a young man who completed his doctorate at Atlantic International University (AIU). Throughout the time he invested in his classes, Ricles took everything he learned to implement his leadership in a Christian organization called Compassion International, where he helped everyone foster deeper conversations about leadership within his team.

Delving into the senior manager's leadership approach, Ricles and his team analyzed key areas for improvement, applying the leadership principles they had learned. These ideas sparked meaningful discussions about emotional behavior, intellectual leadership, and how these principles can drive organizational success. All of his allies, recognizing the value of these lessons, have repeatedly asked Ricles to share more knowledge from his studies at AIU, demonstrating a desire for constant learning in the workplace.

This is one of those cases where a doctorate does not end with the awarding of a degree, but rather, through learning, can become a tangible impact. Ricles Thomas is an example of how to apply all academic knowledge to generate real change in his professional environment.

His driving force in his doctoral studies is gamification.

How to make good things happen to you after finishing your doctorate? Using gamification does not mean trivializing the important aspects of your doctorate; rather, the aim is to make it much more manageable and, of course, stimulating for you. Remember that you have the determination to bring about change that rewards effort, recognizes progress, and keeps that motivation alive for years to come.

Of course, there will be difficulties, painfully long nights, and many adjustments that will cause discomfort at the family level, but every second, every step will bring you closer to the great goal that only 1.1% of the world's population is capable of achieving: the satisfaction of becoming a doctor. If you do this using gamification strategies, it will make everything around you much more productive and even inspiring.

One thing is certain: in the end, it's not the degree that matters, but something much deeper, a version of yourself that will emerge as a result of this whole process, a disciplined, creative version with enormous resilience in the face of doctoral studies and life itself.