I was listening to a podcast a short time ago and this question was asked by the presenter:
What do you do for fun?
She didn’t have an answer herself and what was more amazing is that when she asked a group of her friends, none of them had an answer either.
I’ve asked several people since then and not many of them have had an answer for me.
I actually did have an answer but it didn’t come readily to me at first.
I do enjoy spending time running, spending time on our boat, traveling, camping, and reading.
Oh, and by the way, as you’re formulating your answer… work doesn’t count.
The general rule for deciding if something is for fun or work is whether or not you get paid for it.
If you get paid even one dollar it’s for work and doesn’t count as fun. You may enjoy it, but you have to do it, you don’t get to do it.
So, what about you…what do you do for fun?
And how long did it take you to come up with an answer? If it takes you 10, 20 minutes, or more, you may not be having enough fun.
Why Does It Matter?
I know what you’re thinking because I’ve thought it before.
I don’t need to have fun because I enjoy my work and I can grind it out.
Maybe that’s true.
However, do you want to live life grinding it out and working at an OK level, or do you want to have an abundant life in all areas of your life? Your health, wealth, and family, for example.
Grinding it out day after day won’t get you that.
I get my best ideas after a day of rest and many times on the day of rest.
And taking time off doesn’t delay my getting tasks done. On the contrary, I get more done when I’m rested and refreshed.
When you go on vacation or have time off are you energized or do you need a nap every day?
It’s OK to nap, but if you sleep 10 hours every night and take a nap for the first 5 days of your vacation, you were exhausted.
Take the time to rest and recover.
I was listening to a presentation the other day and the presenter talked about pushing himself so hard he “burnt out” and couldn’t work for two months,
And when he did come back he couldn’t do the tasks he thought were critical to his success.
He’s changed and does other tasks now and the ones he thought he had to do are done by others.
Business success is a marathon, not a sprint.
Yes, you can be successful fairly quickly, but a one or two-year business is a startup.
I don’t want to bring you down, but successful businesses go on for years or decades or longer.
You don’t see Jeff Bezos from Amazon or Bill Gates working on their businesses for a few years and then switching to a new one.
They take on other projects but their core business is there year after year, and even after they leave it continues.
To be able to perform at that level you need to take care of yourself.
Having fun is part of that.
Even God only worked 6 days before he stopped to rest.
I give you permission to rest at least one day a week, and while you’re resting, have FUN.
You’ll feel better and all areas of your life will improve.
Brian
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