Not Having Fun? You’re Doing It ALL Wrong!!

It's all about fun! Have fun everyday!I’m the Queen of Taking Inspired Action and Following My Fun n Feel Good!

But sometimes even Queens can forget to put their crowns on.

Ever gotten all gung ho about a new idea? Gotten really excited about it, thought about it day and night and joined a 4 month program that would help bring it to life?

Which is all well and good you know.

Ever been so consumed by it that it wasn’t fun anymore? Stayed up past 3am thinking, woken up late, felt overwhelmed and tired all day long? I have.

Whooaa!

Even though it’s only been a few days, it’s so not how I run my life!

Somewhere between the grand idea and today, I let my Fun Factor slide. For some reason, thinking about this new business seemed more like work than play (unlike my coaching practice – setting this up was pure fun!).

Ever taken action from a totally-uninspired-low-vibe-space even when you know better? Yep, me too.

As I explored why, it struck me that sometimeswe tend to get too serious about things that are really important to us (I call it getting “significant”). It’s as though by taking it “seriously”, we’ll appear to be more responsible or capable.

We’ve yet to embrace the concept that taking something on doesn’t mean we have to give up having fun with it! Or that we can be “serious” about fun and committed to what we want without getting all tied up in knots.

Lifetime of “work = work, play = play” messages anyone? Well, it just doesn’t work like that anymore!

If one of your values is Fun/Play (like mine), then you know that the more you lose sight of it, the harder it gets to accomplish your goals. And the more action you take, the less you end up doing.  Funny how that can happen.

So it was with that Thunk! Clunk! in my brain – The downstream way is to feel good first! Do what ups your vibe, gives you energy and makes you feel good. THEN look at your to-do list and what else needs to be done.

Don’t even TOUCH or do anything till you’ve spent a few minutes connecting with what makes you happy and energetic, k? All you need is 5 minutes or less so don’t tell me you don’t have the time. Make it a priority.

(Btw, love how this is turning into a series of “what I learned from the last few days” posts!)

I’m a smart cookie. Soon’s I remembered that, I changed it around. I don’t get out of bed without a quick 5 minutes of meditation (getting out of bed and meditating felt like work, so I stay in now).

The first thing I do when I turn on the computer now? Nope, not email.

Music!

The second? Dancing to the Music.

Right here in my living room cum office cum cubbyhole apartment.

Then I call a friend or someone I’d like to connect with for a little check in/chat. Doing this yesterday was so awesome that my fun factor went through the roof! I chatted with one friend and brainstormed crazy business ideas and names with another.

Got SO energised that the rest of the day was 100 times more productive and fun than the last 2 weeks have been.

And I got to play with these concepts again:

  • If I’m not having fun, I’m doing it all wrong.
  • Fun starts with feeling good about what I’m doing at any given time.
  • Raise your energy first before you tackle the rest of it.
  • Plugging away is NOT inspiring!

Ps: As I was writing this post, I took about 2 breaks to dance to Chris Brown’s Forever and Rihanna’s Please Don’t Stop The Music. So much fun!

Let’s recap shall we?

Tia’s Top Tips for Productivity:

  • Start day with quick 5 minute meditation / intention setting
  • Check in with yourself every couple of hours – how are you feeling?
  • If your work’s starting to drag, give yourself a 5 minute FUN break.
  • Play music and dance to bring out creativity
  • Or phone a friend / someone who inspires you
  • Indulge in your chosen “breaktivity” and let it UP your energy level
  • Then take some fantastic inspired action
  • Oh and one last time – make it FUN, dude!

‘Cos when you’re floating downstream you’ll find that the EAC you were looking for, fighting your way through to find, was the very same one you were already floating in.

In case I lost you there, here’s a wee recap from Finding Nemo (watch 1st 2 minutes):

Marlin: OK, Crush. I need to get to the East Australian Current. EAC?
Crush: [laughing] Oh, dude. You’re ridin’ it, dude! Check it out!

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Where do you make “life” more serious than it needs to be? Paying bills / mortgage/ trying to make a difference in the world – how can you remind yourself to make it FUN and bring play into it? Looking forward to hearing your ideas!

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Comments

  1. Janette says

    So spot on. I struggled with my recently-completed first novel, and at one stage simply had to give it up for a few months. Way too much like hard work, and I’d given it SO much significance.

    Then I fell i love with it again, got it finished, and sent it off for consideration. Now I’m about to embark on National Novel Writing Month and I’m doing it as a giant game, on the assumption that it’s going to be nothing but fun!! The energy around the project is 100% different.

    And I’m going to take up your suggestions for how to manage my days. I love getting these ideas from the Queen – thanks, Your Majesty!!

  2. says

    Giant FUN game – I LIKE that! Get on that ferris wheel and stay on it till you’re having a good time. When it starts to feel boring or dizzifying, get off! And do summin else.

    It’s ok to get off and get back on when you’re ready for another go. You know how to do that perfectly JD! Fun, fun, fun on the run. See you @ #NaNoWriMo my most loyal courtier.. 😉 Mwah!

  3. Tiffany says

    1. Kudos for using a Finding Nemo reference. That movie is pure delight!

    2. This post is one thousand percent true!! I feel like we put so much emphasis on keeping score and how much we “get done” that we forget to enjoy ourselves along the way! What good is an uuber-productive life if I don’t get to enjoy it!? It’s amusing how hard it was for me to understand that FUN and HAPPINESS need to be priority number one in my life. After I realized that, it all started falling into place.

    I’m off to a do something that makes me smile. Ta ta for now. 😉

  4. says

    Yay Tiffany, I just recommitted to FUN and Happiness as my goals – ambitious venture! Yes life can get in the way with bills and all that comes with being a grown up AND it can still be fun.

    Either ways, whatever’s gonna happen will happen – might as well find ways to enjoy our time on Earth. Imagine getting to the end of it all and looking back wishing we’d had more fun or been happier. Each moment is so precious!

    Just have to share this awesome vid I found today! Check it out for some fun, uplifting music and messages http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAUoClbSMp4&feature=channel

    Thanks for sharing your fun energy and insight!

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