The Ultimate Cheat Code for Life: How to Level Up Like a Video Game Character

One of the most powerful mental models you can adopt is viewing yourself as the protagonist in a hero movie or a character in a video game, actively leveling up their attributes.

When you make this mindset shift, everything in your life transforms.

Obstacles become challenges to overcome
Failures turn into plot points that build character
And every small victory is another step toward your ultimate goal.

Table of Contents

Life as a Hero’s Journey

Every great hero story follows a similar pattern – the protagonist:

Starts in an ordinary world
Faces challenges
Levels up their abilities
And ultimately achieves greatness.

The same structure applies to your life.

The key is to genuinely assume that moments of failure are just “part of the plot.”

Think about it.

In any movie or video game, the hero never gets everything handed to them.

They:

Face challenges
Learn
And grow stronger through adversity.

What makes a story compelling isn’t a protagonist who does nothing – it’s one who overcomes resistance and evolves into a higher version of themselves.

What if you viewed your day-to-day life as the montage scene before victory?

The moment in the movie where the character is:

Training
Grinding
Making small but critical improvements that eventually lead to mastery.

Instead of seeing challenges as setbacks, you’d embrace them as necessary steps in the journey.

Shifting to the Third-Person Perspective

One of the most liberating shifts you can make is to start observing your thoughts and emotions from a third-person perspective – like watching a character in a game.

When you do this, you create distance between yourself and the emotional highs and lows of life.

Most people react emotionally to setbacks because they see them as personal failures rather than just part of the process.

But imagine playing a video game in first person and feeling every hit as if it were happening to you.

The game would become unbearable.

When you start playing in third person, everything changes – forever.

Instead of reacting impulsively to emotions, you can analyze them like an outside observer.

You don’t have to identify with:

Fear
Frustration
Or doubt.

You can simply recognize them as “temporary game mechanics” – factors to navigate but not obstacles that define you.

The Fear of Taking Action

Imagine playing a game and being too scared to swing your sword because you’re worried about how the NPCs might judge you.

It sounds absurd in that context, but that’s exactly how many people live their lives.

They hesitate to take action because they fear judgment from people who are barely relevant to their story.

A major key to success is realizing that most people are background characters in your journey.

They have their own minor roles, but they do not determine your trajectory.

The only thing that matters is your progression – your willingness to:

Level up
Take action
And keep moving forward.

Progress Bars and Attribute Points

Every skill you develop can be visualized as a progress bar.

Just like in a video game, you start at Level 1 in any new skill.

Whether it’s:

Business
Fitness
Social skills
Or mindset mastery

you’re never instantly great at something.

You have to put in the reps.

But here’s the thing – progress isn’t always obvious.

In a game, you don’t see the progress bar filling up constantly.

Sometimes you have to keep going until, suddenly, you level up.

The same applies to real life.

You won’t always see the growth day to day, but consistency compounds.

If you treat skill-building like an RPG, you’ll start allocating “experience points” intentionally.

Instead of wasting time on distractions, you’ll invest in attributes that actually contribute to your story arc.

Strength: Physical training, discipline, endurance
Intelligence: Reading, learning, strategic thinking
Charisma: Social skills, influence, leadership
Wealth: Financial literacy, business acumen, investing

Every action you take is either adding experience points to an attribute or wasting time in side quests that don’t serve your long-term goal.

The Power of Gamification

When you gamify your mindset, everything becomes an opportunity to advance.

Obstacles? They’re just “boss fights” designed to test your growth.
Setbacks? Just temporary “respawns” – you learn from the mistake and re-enter the game stronger.
Plateaus? You’ve reached the level cap in one area and need to acquire a new skill to progress.

By shifting your perception, you no longer fear failure.

You understand that it’s part of the game.

You embrace it.

You use it to propel yourself forward rather than letting it stop you.

Breaking Free From The NPC Mindset

Most people live reactively.

They:

They exist within the game world but never take control of their own narrative.

They are NPCs – background players who follow pre-programmed societal expectations.

But you don’t have to live like that.

You can choose to be the main character.

Main characters take action. They initiate, adapt, and evolve.
Main characters make decisions based on their own vision. They aren’t controlled by what others think.
Main characters embrace challenges. They know that pressure leads to greatness.