There are a few ways to answer this question. 

One way is by considering the neuroscience of what makes human beings tick. IcarusNotes leverages some of the most fundamental triggers that are known to incentivize human behavior through rewards of varying degrees. Our brains can’t help but to love it.

Another way is to consider the manner in which IcarusNotes was developed — by a professor of game design, using the same principles of game design that video game designers use to develop the most popular and addictive digital media on the planet.  While these principles are congruent with the neuroscience of human motivation, game companies are less concerned with the geography of the human brain and more concerned with whether or not their games actually sustain player engagement. For video game designers, their entire livelihoods depends on it. 

IcarusNotes simply applies those same principles to personal productivity, and the results are magical.

Plenty of large corporations try to leverage these principles, too. It’s the entire premise behind credit card points programs, Vegas casino player clubs, and even coffee shop reward frameworks. But these use-cases are all self-serving for the companies that developed them.

IcarusNotes offers a refreshing twist: rather than using gamification to benefit a credit card company, casino, or corporation of some other kind, YOU are the direct recipient of the benefits. 

Because Icarus gets a bad rap!

His story is told as a cautionary tale against pushing one’s limits, against testing the outer boundaries of what’s possible, against testing your mettle and finding out what you’re really capable of. But it’s truly the opposite, isn’t it?

Icarus's story is one that should celebrate human curiosity, innovation, and fortitude.

If you could have offered Icarus a word of advice on that fateful day, would you have cautioned him not to take flight, or would you have urged him to pack a parachute?

This notebook is your parachute; may it strengthen your wings, embolden your flight, and soften your landing.

Example #1:

• Goal: I’ll work out four days this week.
  • Sub-Goal #1: I’ll lift weights at the gym least two days this week.
    • Reward: I get to treat myself to an Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks. (I’m not allowed to have this unless I achieve this sub-goal.)
    • Points: +2 points to my total balance.
  • Sub-Goal #2: I’ll do some form of cardio three days this week.
    • Reward: I get to eat a “cheat meal” anytime over the next seven days. (I’m not allowed to eat an “cheat meal” unless I achieve this sub-goal.)
    • Points: +5 points to my total balance

Example #2:

• Goal: I’ll practice guitar three days this week.
  • Sub-Goal #1: I’ll practice pentatonic minor scales for at least twenty minutes, twice this week.
    • Reward: I get to watch two episodes of my new favorite Netflix series. (I’m not allowed to watch any episodes unless I achieve this sub-goal.)
    • Points: +2 points to my total balance
  • Sub-Goal #2: I’ll practice “Always With Me, Always With You” by Joe Satriani for at least twenty minutes, twice this week.
    • Reward: I get to buy myself a copy of “Guitar World” magazine. (I’m not allowed to buy this magazine unless I achieve this sub-goal.)
    • Points: +3 points to my total balance

The final six pages in your IcarusNotes notebook are organized to allow you to identify larger rewards that can be “purchased” by spending the points you have accumulated by achieving sub-goals over sustained periods time.

The larger rewards you list here should be things that you really want, and that you know will incentivize you. They can be items that you normally treat yourself to that you are now designating as “off-limits” — or, they can be items on your wishlist that you can afford but simply won’t allow yourself to purchase until they’re earned.

Popular ideas for rewards of this nature include:

• Clothing and accessories (a new pair of shoes, a cool new hat, that snazzy new blazer you noticed and almost purchased but didn’t because you knew it would be perfect for IcarusNotes…)
• Gadgets and games (that new Nintendo Switch game that everyone is raving about, the new iPhone you can afford but won’t let yourself have until you earn 200 points…)
• Experiences and events (tickets to a concert, a poker night with your friends, a day off from work, an awesome vacation…)
• Not-so-great habits that you want to diminish by making them off-limits unless they’re paid for (dessert, beer…)

There isn’t a specific formula that works for everyone, but when assigning point values, you should consider the potential number of points earned per week vs. the number of weeks it could take you to earn your larger rewards.

If you have one weekly goal that can earn a maximum of 7 points per week (2 points from sub-goal #1 and 5 points from sub-goal #2), the math is straightforward: Five perfect weeks gets you 35 points, 50 perfect weeks gets you 350 points, and so on. You can use these numbers to estimate appropriate costs for your rewards (e.g. you might decide that earning a new blazer should cost you 35 points, whereas earning a vacation should cost closer to 250).

Keep in mind that this is subjective, can be adjusted, and will immediately make more sense as you begin actively utilizing the IcarusNotes system.

IcarusNotes can be used to incentivize just about anything. Here are the ten most popular use-cases we’ve seen so far:

• Developing a consistent workout routine
• Eating healthy (or eating a restricted calorie intake) on a regular basis
• Learning a new skill (like an instrument or language)
• Prioritizing homework / regularly completing schoolwork at a specific time of day
• Spending more quality time with family / calling loved ones on a more regular basis
• Taking care of household chores on a regular basis
• Abstaining from not-so-great behaviors that have become daily habits (binge-watching, soda-drinking, etc.)
• Putting time into developing a new business or entrepreneurial venture
• Completing cumbersome work-related responsibilities that are otherwise easily neglected
• Building a good habit, such as daily writing routine, meditation practice, or drinking water

Sure! Just as video game players enjoy “modding” their games, you’ll find that you can modify the IcarusNotes system to better tailor it to your needs and preferences. Here are some of the most popular modifications or “hacks” that we’ve seen:

• Monthly Goals - The gamified goal sheets (i.e. the pages where you set your goals) are optimized for weekly goals, and include a table that represents seven days of the week, indicated as S M T W TH F S. However, some users prefer to set monthly goals. Those users have found that they can simply extend the vertical lines in the table to easily create a makeshift monthly calendar in the notes area — to be used for tracking a single goal over the span of an entire month, rather than just one week.
• Points for Goals - The gamified goal sheets ask you to indicate how many points should be awarded for the completion of each sub-goal, but not for completion of the overarching goals. Some users have chosen to make the overarching goal synonymous with sub-goal #2. Other users have chosen to award additional points for completing the larger, overarching goal.
• Losing Points - While it goes against several of the core principles of game design, some users have chosen to incorporate the “threat” of losing points on their goal pages. For example, while a goal might be to exercise four times that week, a “threat” might be written as: “If I don’t work out at least once this week, I will lose 5 points.” We don’t recommend this.
• Losing Rewards - This “hack” is similar to losing points, but is more deeply intertwined with the psychology of human motivation. It works best when the “reward” for a sub-goal takes the form of a pre-paid item, such as a $10 Starbucks gift card. The typical goal structure might look like this:
  • Goal: Exercise four times this week.
  • Sub-goal #1: Do cardio for at least 20 minutes, on at least three different days this week.
    • Reward: I get to use the $10 Starbucks gift card that I purchased for this purpose!
    • Points: +5 points to my total balance
  • Threat: If I don’t do cardio at least once this week, I must destroy the gift card.
• While we don’t recommend incorporating these types of structured penalties into IcarusNotes, here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re considering incorporating penalties such as losing rewards:
  • Humans love winning stuff. But more than that, humans HATE losing stuff they already have. (This can be a highly effective motivator, no doubt about it.)
  • If you start lose stuff while you use IcarusNotes, your brain will likely start to hate IcarusNotes. (Remember, our brains really hate losing stuff. Your brain is smart enough to sniff out the culprit.) This could jeopardize future productivity.
  • This mechanism (“losing rewards“) is most effective when the reward is truly lost or destroyed.
    • Giving the gift card to a friend wouldn’t cut it; in fact, our brains love gifting things to friends, so this would have the opposite effect.
    • It’s illegal to destroy money. Don’t do it.
    • Gift cards are probably the best way to accomplish this in a manner that’s intertwined with your existing rewards.