Play Seriously
Brian Ford
Using personal development to fundraise for charity | Self-Improvement Podcaster (20+ million downloads) | Social Impact Leader (Nonprofit founder at For Purpose Foundation)
We take ourselves very seriously at work and with our core responsibilities. We know that certain things require our very best and because of that we show up with more focus, concentration, and intention. But why does the buck stop there? Why don’t we take the same approach to the fun and enjoyable side of life?
We spend so much time creating optimizations and efficiencies in an attempt to maximize our productivity. We want to squeeze every bit of value we can from how we’re spending our time with the things we take seriously. Let’s commit to trying the same in the lighter things we do as well!
Every day is a masterpiece in how we’re balancing the personal and professional faces of our lives. But right now we’re treating it as if we’re either ‘on’ or ‘off’. Unfortunately this means that we resort to ‘turning-off’ for our personal time, which then impacts its quality.?
It’s sinking deeper into the couch instead of playing an engaging board game. It’s scrolling on social media during a half-conversation with someone instead of going for a walk and connecting more deeply. If we don’t intervene, we’ll tolerate spending our time with a fraction of the presence, enjoyment, and enthusiasm we could experience if we had done things differently.
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So take your personal time seriously. Play seriously.
My recommendation for that is to be clear on your intentions for doing things. Keep it top of mind so that you can be more accountable to it. When the intention is to work, you are vigilant about limiting distractions. Similarly when the intention is to play, engage yourself in it. And when your intention is to rest, don’t occupy yourself with nonsense.
You’ve heard it this way before - Work hard, play hard. The edit I’d make to that is “Work serious, play serious.” You’ll be amazed to see how much more fulfilled, enriched, and inspired you’ll feel when you start making the most out of the way you spend your personal time.
Chief Financial Officer at Elite Construction of Ocala LLC - a Quanta Services company
1 年Going back to a Covey lecture... put first things first... if you don't put time off, or that vacation you've been wanting on the calendar FIRST - it will always get crowded out by other demands. I book at least one meaningful hiking/kayaking/etc. trip each year, and as soon as I get back I book the next one. I also try to plan smaller 3-4 day breaks over the rest of the year. I get them on the calendar, and it ensures they happen. It is also the light at the end of the tunnel that I keep telling myself when days are crap... it's something to look forward to rather than just looking at the computer on my desk... Covey has a great video of trying to put sand, pebbles, and rocks in a fish tank. If you don't put the big rocks - the things that are most important to you in first, everything else won't fit... and that might be your personal quality time needed for physical and mental health
Helping You Connect with Your True Self | Experiential Life Coach l Public Speaker l Martial Artist l Customizable Wellness Retreat Facilitator
1 年In one of my college courses we covered a model that ideally breaks our time into thirds: work, recreation/leisure, and sleep. Work often bleeds into the other 2/3 and offsets our equilibrium. It's so important to be intentional with our recreation/leisure. It's something that can help us avoid burnout and increase our overall sense of well-being.
Marketing and Sales Director @ Central Coast Live Foods
1 年Great article Brian! I definitely succumb to this “on” and “off” mindset. One habit I’ve been trying to cultivate is to spend more time in observation rather than consumption. When we’re distracted, we’re not engaged in observation and therefore, not present. It’s counterintuitive because I often feel as though my “focus” is limited and that we only have so much to dedicate to our tasks that require deep intensive focus. But what I’ve realized is that, the more time I spend distracting myself, the less focus I end up having!
Director of Development, The Arc of Bartholomew County
1 年Point taken, thank you for the reminder...OUCH! Planning time to play is an important facet of life. One I seem to forget as I create my daily schedule.