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26 Things Game Development Taught Me About Winning at Life in 2026
Welcome to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu! In this deep dive episode, Tom Bilyeu distills 25 years of entrepreneurial wisdom and his recent journey as a game developer into "26 Ways to Win in 2026." Drawing on powerful lessons from both business and gaming, Tom Bilyeu explores why your beliefs and values are your personal programming, how life mirrors a player versus player versus environment (PvPvE) game, and why skills, clear goals, and relentless adaptability are crucial for thriving in a rapidly changing world shaped by AI and economic uncertainty.
You’ll hear actionable strategies on reframing challenges, building habits for success, mastering asset ownership, and surrounding yourself with a high-performance environment. From the importance of failure and iteration to crafting your own meaning and purpose, this episode is packed with insights on how to level up—no matter where you’re starting from.
If you’re ready to enter the next year with clarity, confidence, and a fulfilled mindset, tune in for Tom Bilyeu’s ultimate guide to turning 2026 into the best year of your life.
00:00 Intro
00:12 #1 - You Are Programmable
02:22 #2 - Life Is A PvPvE Game
04:23 #3 - The Universe Is A Set Of Rules
05:45 #4 - Skills Have Utility
06:25 #5 - You Need Clear Goals
08:41 #6 - Understand The Economy or Be A NPC
09:54 Ad For Tom’s TCG Habit
11:03 Ad 2 For Drew’s Date Stories
12:03 Back To The Countdown
12:49 #7 - Nobody Is Coming To Save You
14:16 #8 - The Meta Is Constantly Changing
15:47 #9 - Want Bigger Rewards, Pursue Bigger Difficulties
17:43 #10 - Don’t Chase Useless Side Quests
19:38 #11 - When You Rest, Your Competition Isn’t
20:00 #12 - Your Environment Is a Buff or Debuff
21:56 #13 - Meaning Isn’t Discovered, It’s Engineered
23:47 #14 - Ship Early And Get Feedback
24:18 #15 - You Are Trapped In Your Frame Of Reference
26:03 #16 - Your First 100 Attempts Will Be Trash
26:45 #17 - Success Is Iteration Done Longer Than Others Can Stand
27:59 #18 - If You Don’t Measure It, You Can’t Improve It
28:34 #19 - Ideas Don’t Make You Valuable, Execution Does
29:51 #20 - Learn From The Past
31:14 #21 - Go To Where The Future Will Be. Don’t Chase The Present
33:11 #22 - You’re Going To Fail ALOT. Learn From It
35:09 #23 - Most People Play On Easy Mode - Go For Hardcore!
37:14 #24 - Your Habits Are Daily Updates To Your Future Self
40:19 #25 - Practice, Don’t Just Repeat
40:54 #26 - 2026 Is Here, Level Up Or Get Left Behind
Quince: Go to https://quince.com/IMPACTPOD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Linkedin: Post your job free at https://linkedin.com/impacttheory
HomeServe: Help protect your home systems – and your wallet – with HomeServe against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month at https://homeserve.com
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact
Huel: 15% off with this exclusive offer for New Customers only with code impact at https://huel.com/impact (Minimum $75 purchase).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
View all episodes
By Impact Theory
4.7
45914,591 ratings
Welcome to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu! In this deep dive episode, Tom Bilyeu distills 25 years of entrepreneurial wisdom and his recent journey as a game developer into "26 Ways to Win in 2026." Drawing on powerful lessons from both business and gaming, Tom Bilyeu explores why your beliefs and values are your personal programming, how life mirrors a player versus player versus environment (PvPvE) game, and why skills, clear goals, and relentless adaptability are crucial for thriving in a rapidly changing world shaped by AI and economic uncertainty.
You’ll hear actionable strategies on reframing challenges, building habits for success, mastering asset ownership, and surrounding yourself with a high-performance environment. From the importance of failure and iteration to crafting your own meaning and purpose, this episode is packed with insights on how to level up—no matter where you’re starting from.
If you’re ready to enter the next year with clarity, confidence, and a fulfilled mindset, tune in for Tom Bilyeu’s ultimate guide to turning 2026 into the best year of your life.
00:00 Intro
00:12 #1 - You Are Programmable
02:22 #2 - Life Is A PvPvE Game
04:23 #3 - The Universe Is A Set Of Rules
05:45 #4 - Skills Have Utility
06:25 #5 - You Need Clear Goals
08:41 #6 - Understand The Economy or Be A NPC
09:54 Ad For Tom’s TCG Habit
11:03 Ad 2 For Drew’s Date Stories
12:03 Back To The Countdown
12:49 #7 - Nobody Is Coming To Save You
14:16 #8 - The Meta Is Constantly Changing
15:47 #9 - Want Bigger Rewards, Pursue Bigger Difficulties
17:43 #10 - Don’t Chase Useless Side Quests
19:38 #11 - When You Rest, Your Competition Isn’t
20:00 #12 - Your Environment Is a Buff or Debuff
21:56 #13 - Meaning Isn’t Discovered, It’s Engineered
23:47 #14 - Ship Early And Get Feedback
24:18 #15 - You Are Trapped In Your Frame Of Reference
26:03 #16 - Your First 100 Attempts Will Be Trash
26:45 #17 - Success Is Iteration Done Longer Than Others Can Stand
27:59 #18 - If You Don’t Measure It, You Can’t Improve It
28:34 #19 - Ideas Don’t Make You Valuable, Execution Does
29:51 #20 - Learn From The Past
31:14 #21 - Go To Where The Future Will Be. Don’t Chase The Present
33:11 #22 - You’re Going To Fail ALOT. Learn From It
35:09 #23 - Most People Play On Easy Mode - Go For Hardcore!
37:14 #24 - Your Habits Are Daily Updates To Your Future Self
40:19 #25 - Practice, Don’t Just Repeat
40:54 #26 - 2026 Is Here, Level Up Or Get Left Behind
Quince: Go to https://quince.com/IMPACTPOD for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Linkedin: Post your job free at https://linkedin.com/impacttheory
HomeServe: Help protect your home systems – and your wallet – with HomeServe against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month at https://homeserve.com
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact
Huel: 15% off with this exclusive offer for New Customers only with code impact at https://huel.com/impact (Minimum $75 purchase).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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