What a middle-aged pediatrician struggling with a midlife crisis is practicing: Finding and raising a level 1 slime within oneself.
Confucius said,
At fifteen, I set my heart on learning.
At thirty, I stood firm.
At forty, I had no doubts.
At fifty, I knew the mandate of heaven.
At sixty, my ear was attuned to the truth.
At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without overstepping the boundaries.
I'm 48 and I'm full of doubts, so what should I do?
I walk 20,000 steps a day, do regular strength training, practice mindfulness, read books, talk to people, eat at least one bowl of Jiro-style ramen a week... and so on, I'm practicing various things, but...
Even though I'm practicing 'my own ultimate theory of happiness'...
I wake up in the middle of the night
and think, 'What is my life all about?'
The thought just loops...
Well,
'Oh, the usual thing has started.
You're going to eat delicious Jiro ramen when you're 100, right? Just go to sleep.'
It's a relief that I've become able to think that way.
I'm feeling a bit of a sense of stagnation in my life.
At times like that, the midnight 'What is my life all about?' loop tends to start.
Come to think of it, regardless of the midlife crisis, I feel like I've always been seeking a 'sense of growth'.
In my student days, it was studies and club activities.
After I started working, it was improving my skills as a doctor.
Once my job became stable, it was financial investment, English, marathons, strength training, meditation...
Reading 'Narou' web novels and playing games is also a 'sense of growth', isn't it.
In 2014, while going through trial and error to figure out how to increase my motivation for marathons, I learned the term "gamification." (It first appeared in my diary on May 23, 2014.)
It seems I bought these two books on Kindle; how nostalgic!!
Let's have Gemini summarize gamification for us.
Gamification is
"applying game elements and mechanics to non-game fields."
It is not simply about playing games, but aims to utilize the engaging power of games and the mechanisms that boost motivation to help solve real-world problems.
Key elements include the following:
Points, Badges, and Leaderboards (PBL): These are the most basic elements.
Points: Rewards earned based on actions. In terms of strength training, it's like a score that increases as you complete repetitions.
Badges: Proof of achieving specific goals or accomplishments. They serve as evidence of clearing milestones like completing X number of reps or lifting X kg.
Leaderboards: Rankings. They stimulate a competitive spirit and boost motivation.
Story/Narrative: Draws the user into the world of the story, giving them purpose and meaning. For training, this corresponds to story settings like "an adventure to become the strongest warrior."
Feedback: Immediate and clear reactions to actions. This includes things like having your rep count displayed in real-time on a fitness app or visualizing your progress with a graph.
Goal Setting/Challenges: Provides clear goals and tasks to achieve them. It's like setting today's goal as "10 reps of 30kg bench press."
Social Elements: Encourages cooperation, competition, and interaction with other users. This includes group training with friends or features to share progress on social media.
Since learning about gamification, I have been conscious of trying to turn various things into games.
The image of finding a level 1 slime within myself and raising it.
Lately, I might be doing it unconsciously.
Yes, I started writing this article because while I was out for a walk listening to a 'Narou-style' novel using a text-to-speech function, it suddenly occurred to me that CrossFit is exactly gamification.
Roughly speaking, CrossFit is a one-hour program that combines weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio to train the body evenly.
Weightlifting (the stuff where you easily lift a barbell over your head)
Gymnastics (artistic gymnastics, like rings or handstands)
By the way, I still can't do these.
Cardio
(Aerobic exercise, like running, rowing, cycling, or throwing a ball against a wall)
100 reps in a row—I still don't feel like I can do it.
When you start CrossFit, there are so many movements to do that you often think,
"No way, there's no way I can do that movement."
That's all you think.
But you get step-by-step guidance on how to properly master each of those movements.
CrossFit is perfect for those who aren't good at exercise!!!
They provide slow, careful instruction tailored to each person's level (or at least they should!!).
You can easily experience growth.
And that growth is directly linked to health and happiness in life.
CrossFit is truly the mirror of gamification!!!
Anyway, if you read this article and become interested in CrossFit, please look for a gym near you and try a trial session.
I will be opening a CrossFit gym along the Seibu line in late 2026, so if you live along the Seibu line, please consider it.