Random Reward Rolls

Looking at ways to use randomness in a positive way.

Positive Randomness

Randomness and uncertainty are part of life, some welcome and some not.

Unwelcome ones might be uncertainty over the weather, a medical diagnosis, how long we will live or how many people will turn up to an event we are organising.

Then there are other types of uncertainty. What present a friend might give us, how investments might do that we believe in, when a friend might come to visit.

In games we sometimes talk about the anticipation of not knowing what will come next. The possibilities of a situation. If something risky we are trying in a board game or roleplaying game will pay off or what adventures our characters might encounter.

That positive randomness, a pleasant anticipation, is what I'm trying to add more of.

Rolling for Rewards

One of things I used to keep in my Blue Box was a Rewards Deck. Nice little positives that I would try to do each week after completing things on a task list.

Only I would often forget, or the card would sit as a chore.

So I've switched to a random table, rolling two six-sided dice and taking the result as something nice to do this week. It seems to be working well enough.

It's main positive is the little thrill before rolling the dice, as many possibilities lie open, and all chosen to be nice things. It also takes up less space and the cards don't seem to be forgotten. (Instead the result goes into a Trello Board! 😅

The Table (as of writing) looks like

2d6

2: Organise a trip
3: Listen to a new podcast
4: Try to complete a fun objective
5: Go on a long walk
6: Museum or art gallery
7: New coffee cafe
8: Organise coffee or food with a friend
9: Revisit a cafe or restaurant
10: Try a new Portuguese sweet thing
11: Paint something
12: Roll twice and combine!

No doubt this table will get updated and look quite different in 6 months.

Finishing Up

It's another experiment which feels good but might go nowhere!

Simple pleasures!