Living Like An NPC Is Silently Destroying Your Soul
Here Are 8 NPC Habits To Kill Before They Kill Your Potential
Most people are living like NPCs (non-player characters.)
Wake up. Scroll. Commute. Work. Consume. Repeat.
No main quest. No mission. No agency.
They don’t write. They don’t build.
They wait for orders.
This is how a person’s very soul gets crushed.
It’s not a single moment or event in time; it’s months and years of inaction and stagnation.
Deep down, people know this isn’t the life they want. Yet they settle for it anyway. Out of fear, laziness, or complacency. They settle all the same.
There’s been periods of my life where I catch myself doing this as well. Recently too.
But if this isn’t the life you want, here are some tips for breaking out of the simulation:
1. Cut Out Garbage Inputs
You know the saying: “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with"?
This saying is true.
But the same thing goes for what you choose to consume and spend your focus on.
NPCs don’t realize this.
They endlessly consume.
The latest Netflix show. TikTok trends. CNN and Fox News fear mongering.
One of the fastest ways to improve your life is to get rid of garbage inputs.
Turn off the TV and ditch the subscriptions you’re not using. Delete TikTok. Turn off the TV. Next, replace those inputs with something more meaningful 👇
2. Spend At Least One Hour Per Day Creating Something Meaningful
Entrepreneur influencers will tell you that for your life to have meaning, you need to build a business.
This is bullshit.
You don’t need to be an entrepreneur. However, you need to spend time every day on creating something that is meaningful for you.
Start journaling. Prepare a wonderful meal with your spouse. Pick up an instrument you used to play or would like to someday. Create a healthier body. Learn a new language.
And, more importantly, realize that the moments you spend creating skills, sharing happiness, and making fond memories are the moments that actually matter.
3. Set A North Star & Follow It To The Ends Of The Earth
NPCs follow an outline that society sets for them from an early age.
Go to school.
Get a job.
Climb the corporate career ladder.
Along the way, make sure you buy that new car, get the big mortgage, and work yourself to the bone until you’re 65.
There’s nothing wrong with a 9-5 job or going to school.
But following this path because it’s “what you’re supposed to do” is how NPCs are made, fresh from the factory.
Reflect on how you’d like to live your life. How you’d like each day to feel.
Then, reverse engineer this.
How much money do you need to be financially free? What country do you want to live in? What sort of partner do you want? What values actually mean something to you? What do you want your day to look like when you wake up?
This can still involve working a regular job. But don’t let your career or societal expectations define your compass.
Your dream life is your North Star. Chase it.
4. Build Leverage Instead Of Chasing Status
People who live like NPCs chase status endlessly.
It’s a new BMW, a fancy watch, designer clothing.
This is how the average monthly car payment in the US has hit $745. It’s why so many nations are in-debt, weak, and are heading nowhere fast.
If you live like a main character, you spend time building leverage instead of chasing status and approval from others.
This looks like:
Increasing your income with side hustles and passive sources
Gaining more of your time back
Eliminating distractions
Growing your skillset
Meeting people who genuinely want the best for you
The best part about leverage is that it produces outsized returns. And once you start creating it, it has the tendency to snowball.
5. Live Honestly & Speak Your Mind, Even When Inconvenient
“Always tell the truth, or at least, don't lie.”
This is one of Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules and a cornerstone for much of his advice, particularly to young people.
He also argues that telling the truth is a surefire way to live a life of adventure and meaning.
This is true.
And it’s not about dodging white lies or taking an infallible moral high ground.
It’s about living authentically. Saying what you think. Making sure your actions match your words.
Personally, I’ve found this difficult at times, especially during my time in University or with the modern dating market. In fact, I’m having to unlearn the habit of speaking in compromises or straddling the fence out of fear of social repercussions.
NPCs never speak their minds.
This is partly because they don’t take time to reflect on what they truly think. But it’s mainly a fear response that society has conditioned us with.
Deep down, you know what you believe. Be authentic.
6. Seek Out Difficult Tasks & Moments
I used to think that people who get up at 4:00am to run were maniacs.
Same goes for people who fast. Or really anyone who takes a hobby or interest to the extreme. It doesn’t even have to be a physical one.
But if you’ve ever tried any “extreme” behavior for just a couple of weeks, you’ll know why this is so beneficial.
Hard tasks have meaning. They bring us purpose, satisfaction, and improvement.
NPCs don’t chase these things. That’s because it’s easier to order DoorDash for the fourth time that week and to throw on another episode of a shitty show like Severance (does the irony of this show not escape those that binge it?)
Modern comforts are great, don’t get me wrong. But in moderation.
Ensure your weekly routine has something challenging in it. Seek out discomfort and tasks that make you work for them.
7. Create Moments Of Silence Into Your Day
NPCs live in a society that’s overstimulated.
Our phones control our attention. We can’t even walk outside without noise-cancelling headphones blasting the latest Spotify playlist at all times. Work emails, texts, and pings batter our brains around the clock.
Do you know why you have some of your best thoughts when taking a shower?
It’s one of the few moments in modern life where you have silence and uninterrupted consciousness.
This should frighten you.
Build in moments of silence into your daily life.
Take a walk in nature without headphones. Stretch in the morning and before bed. Pray or meditate for five minutes too.
You’ll notice a change. It’s your brain awakening.
8. Chase New Experiences Like Your Life Depends On It
The happiest moments of my life have come when chasing new experiences.
Time slows down. And, strangely, you almost get a warm and rewarding sense of nostalgia, despite the experience being novel.
As you move towards your North Star, it’s crucial to have new experiences along the way.
These can be large, life-changing decisions: moving to a new country, changing your career, or deciding to start a family.
They can also be small, more regular ones: taking a dance class (or two) with your girlfriend, learning to bake bread, or going somewhere new for a long weekend.
Routine is healthy. Too much of it will kill your spirit.
What’s Next?
I’ve been feeling a slippage back into NPC life over the last year or so.
Much of this has to do with some lifestyle changes I’ve made over the last year or so.
I’ve slowed down travel. I’ve stopped writing outside of work. Relationships have been either abysmal or put on the back burner. My workouts have been pretty meh.
When you feel yourself slipping into NPC mode, or if you know you’re there currently, demand change for yourself.
You know deep down if you’re being authentic and creating a lifestyle that has meaning for you. You probably know some changes (even small ones) that you could make today as well that would set you in the right direction.
Again - this doesn’t mean everyone has to be an entrepreneur or live like David Goggins.
But it’s important to outline what matters to you and to chase it.
Create your own story, go on side quests, and do things that bring you meaning. If you do this, it’s impossible to live life like an NPC because you are the main character.
Anyways, I’m going to go look at one-way flights now…
Catch you in the next one.
Get in touch! 👉 https://pillar.io/tomblakefinance