Today’s big idea is that fun can be a great motivator, and not something that needs to happen off the clock. Integrating fun into your work–whether that’s the kind of work you’re paid for or the effort you put into managing your life, or parenting, or what have you–can make you more productive without it feeling like you’re pushing yourself too hard.
Listen to the Podcast Here
Let’s face it: Adulting can be a real slog
The list of things to do and take care of can feel relentless. However, that does not mean that doing the things you need to do has to be boring, or tedious. You CAN use fun to goad yourself into doing those things you have to do, and enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
How can you use fun as a motivator? Well, if you’ve got to clean the house, can you play music or listen to a great audio book, so that you can do something you enjoy while you’re doing something potentially tedious?
Or, if you have a bunch of errands to run, can you team up with a friend and get some catch up time while you’re at it?
If you have to call your insurance company or some other customer service department, can you share a fun fact or tell a (CLEAN, NON-OFFENSIVE) joke with the person helping you and perhaps kick off a little playful banter?
(Here’s one of my favorites: a horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, why the long face? Ba-dum-chhhh.)
Or if you have to sit down and crank out some work, can you chew gum, or put on a funky hat or sweater, or run your essential oil diffuser?
I mean, you don’t want “find ways to have fun” to become yet another item on your to-do list
But there are ways to infuse the daily grind with little bits of playful energy here there as a motivator. And doing so is likely to help your mood and keep your energy in a good place, and hopefully help break up any beliefs you may have that work has to suck, and that you have to save any fun, playfulness, or lightness for when work is through. In other words, you can combine your peanut butter with your chocolate and infuse even your most dreaded tasks with a little bit of lightness and enjoyment.
Daily Tiny Assignment
Your tiny assignment is to think about what you can do to make your next obligatory activity at least a little more fun. I think you’ll see an opportunity to fun things up if you just stop to ponder it for a moment.
That’s it from me today. I hope you’ll come back tomorrow when we’re going to get a bit mindful about our fun.
