What if building good habits felt like playing a game?
Over the past months, I’ve built a system that gamifies self-discipline — and it works.

Inspired by RPG mechanics and grounded in daily self-work, my habit and reward tracker in Google Sheets has become the cornerstone of my routine. This post dives into how it works, why it helps, and how you can use it to build yours.

Why I Needed a Reward System

Like many of us, I’ve always juggled multiple self-improvement goals: fitness, deep work, creativity, and mindfulness. I was consistent, but it often felt like a grind. There was no immediate dopamine hit, no feedback loop. I wanted a system that would:

  • Reward consistency
  • Make progress tangible
  • Let me enjoy life guilt-free (hello, beer 👀)
  • Turn self-discipline into a game

So I built it.

How It Works

The system is simple, but powerful:

  • You earn points by completing key daily habits.
  • You can spend points on “rewards” (beer, Netflix, games, cheat meals, etc.).
  • There’s a weekly scoreboard, stats dashboard, and total balance.
  • It’s all powered by Google Sheets, so it’s easy to modify.

Let me break it down.

Daily Habits = Points

Each habit I want to reinforce has a point value:

Habit Points
Workout 3
Wim Hof Breathing 2
Study documentation 2
Code on my project 3
Learn music production 2
Write music 3
Duolingo 1
Listen to a new album 1
No food/sweets after 6 PM 3
Meditation & affirmations 2
Pomodoro work blocks 2

Every day, I mark ✅ or ❌ for each habit. The sheet adds up the points automatically.

Rewards = Spendable Joy

When I want to relax, I check how many points I have and “spend” them on a reward:

Reward Cost (points)
Watch a movie 10
One episode of a show 6
1 hour of video games 7
2 hours of games 14
A beer 10
Cheat meal 15
Music break (just listening) 3
Coffee outside 4
Offline walk (no phone) 3
Hot bath + music 10
Ordering food 18
Half-day off 18
Social meetup 12
Buy something small 20
Hobby upgrade 25
Major reward (gadget, etc.) 50–100

No guilt. If I’ve earned it, I’ve earned it.

The Weekly Dashboard

This is where it gets interesting:

  • I see how many points I earned each week
  • The average points per day
  • What I spent
  • What I saved

This visibility keeps me motivated and helps me spot trends. If I had a bad week, I know exactly why. If I did great — hell yeah, I’ll celebrate with a nice reward.

Why It Works (for Me)

  • It’s honest. I can’t lie to myself. Either I did the habit or I didn’t.
  • It’s visual. I see results — both earned and spent.
  • It’s balanced. I can reward myself without sabotaging my goals.
  • It’s flexible. Want to tweak habit values? Add new rewards? Easy.
  • It’s gamified. It feels like leveling up in real life.

Want to Try It?

I’d love for more people to experiment with this idea.

💡 Here’s a version of the sheet you can copy

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a “system that will change your life.”
It’s a tool — a practical framework that helped me stay consistent, motivated, and balanced. It might help you too, especially if:

  • You’re driven but burn out quickly
  • You struggle to reward yourself without guilt
  • You love structure but hate rigidity

If you give it a try or want help setting it up — reach out. I’d love to hear how you’d make it your own.