The Power of Having Fun

How much FUN have you had lately? Do you give your schedule room for it on a daily basis? If not, you are missing out on one of the most essential aspects of a successful career and life.

I made a promise to have more fun while I work and at home and it has changed everything.

My friend, coach, and keynote speaker for leaders and entrepreneurs, Dave Crenshaw, is releasing this week his latest brilliant work, “The Power of Having Fun”. The principles taught in this book are what Dave taught me years ago when he was my business coach, and I told him so often that it helped me and changed my life, schedule, and way of thinking that I hoped someday he’d write a book about it.

I wasn’t the only one to ask for it, but Dave has finally released this masterful writing after penning some classics such as “Invaluable”, “The Myth of Multitasking” and “The Focused Business”. I’ve already purchased multiple copies of his latest, and hope you’ll join me, and give this book to the people most important in your life.

As a Guest Blogger today, please welcome my friend, and someone I admire so greatly, Mr. Dave Crenshaw.

You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Family for Work. Here’s Why…

By Dave Crenshaw

This may seem like a “no-brainer”, but your family needs you. The people that care about you want to see you and spend time with you. They get a boost from seeing you every day and it’s not just in their “heart of hearts.” Spending more time with loved ones can increase performance at work and school both for them and for you.

A study by the American Psychological Association argues that stable marriages lead to quality, steady work performance. It’s called the “work-home resources model” and it can be a powerful indicator of success.

Logically, the net effect of this phenomenon would translate to other relationships, as well. When you are able to get closer to your children and other loved ones, their confidence increases and success flows more easily to them. It is a reciprocal relationship that inspires success for all parties involved.

If the soft sciences haven’t convinced you to change your schedule, practical advice just might. Here are 5 reasons why you should give yourself permission to make more time for your family.

1. Relationships can always be strengthened. Relationships are like a muscle. If you don’t lift the barbells of love on a regular basis, your relationships will weaken. It takes some willpower, but the gains are always worth it.

Married couples that go on at least one date, every week, are three times more likely to report improved marital happiness, better communication, and better satisfaction in the bedroom—than those who don’t. Yet a mere 18% of couples go out around once per month.

Of course, you can strengthen relationships that are not romantically-linked. Your children, friends, extended family, pets, and other people (or non-people) in your life will all benefit from your love and devotion.

1. Moments pass quickly. Life throws you curveballs sometimes. More often than not, they are little surprises that charm you. You sit back and enjoy those moments. Unless…you’re buried head down in the matrix of spreadsheets and quarterly reports. Time is a flowing river, and it is foolish to think that you can paddle back upstream. Your child is going to take his or her first step once and only once. Once it’s gone it is gone for good.

We’ve all missed these moments. Even with the best of intentions, we cannot be omnipresent, nor are we perfect. That’s ok. However, there is a huge difference between missing moments because we’re human and missing moments because we failed to make an effort.

1. You’re building something that lasts generations. Think about the impact one couple leaves on the generations that come after it. My wife’s grandparents had five children, which led to 30 grandchildren and 117 great-grandchildren. All of these lives were influenced by a single relationship.

Even if you aren’t part of the traditional nuclear family, you can still have impact and influence the lives of others by making a concerted effort to spend time with them. This is an action that will have a ripple effect for generations to come.

1. You’re creating memories. Consider someone whom you personally love and admire. Now consider the memories you have of this person. What stands out to you? Unless you’re a savant, odds are you don’t remember every single moment of every day. Instead, you’re likely to remember just a handful of memories that get told and retold just like reruns of Happy Days.

Our brain, for a variety of reasons, is wired that way. We’re attuned to registering things that are out of the norm. By making time for your family, you’re creating a kind of memory bond from your loved ones to you and vice versa.

1. You are an influence. Just admit it—you’re awesome. Too often, in an admirable attempt to #stayhumble, we forget how much of an influence we have on people. Creating time for loved ones gives you an opportunity to be a positive influence on them.

So, go on. Let others bask in your gloriousness. Being around you lifts your family members up and makes them feel good. Don’t forget, the time you spend with them will boost their performance at work, too! The benefits flow in all directions.

Ready to Take Action? Meet with your family and start brainstorming ideas for ways to spend more time together. Everyone will have an opinion on what they will enjoy doing with you, but just having the conversation will get the ball rolling.

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Bio:

Dave Crenshaw is the master of building productive leaders and has transformed hundreds of thousands of business leaders worldwide. He has appeared in TIMEmagazine, USA Today, FastCompany, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have received millions of views. He has written three books and counting, including The Myth of Multitasking which was published in six languages and is a time-management bestseller. His fourth book, The Power of Having Fun, releases September 19th. Learn more about Dave at DaveCrenshaw.com.

~ jason

Jason Hewlett, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, is a Keynote Speaker for the largest corporate events in the world. His primary message, The Promise, is essential for Leadership, Management, Sales, Marketing, Direct-Sales Companies, and is a combination of engagement and entertainment meets inspiration. Jason has even received standing ovations from IT guys. He has been acknowledged as life-changing by Conference Attendees, C-Level Executives and Hollywood Elite.  jasonhewlett.com