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I work better and harder when I'm actually playing a game.

Pomodoros, sprints and CrossFit all take work and turn it into an actual game.

If you are doing well you feel a surge of pride that the drudgery of typical 'work' can not provide.

Gamification is bullshit because it is not making the activity a game. It is just assigning a thin game layer on top of mundane tasks.

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Pomodoros, sprints and CrossFit are not games, just structure (that many people find useful).

CrossFit is literally a game. The metcon at the end of every class is scored, and there's often a leader board. (I'd argue this is why people, included myself, get so addicted)

I'd argue that Sprints can be a game where the score is velocity.

And a Pomodoro is a game if you try and get done in 25 minutes the thing you set out to do.

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