creating sustainable results in growth and performance
FUN IN SMALL
DOSES
How do you
get off the all-work treadmill? Begin by creating and practicing two- to
five minute joy breaks several times a day. Ultimately, you want this to
happen automatically without your having to remember to do it. But at the
beginning, we suggest that you write these breaks into your daily plan.
It is
interesting to note that when we use this self-assessment with youngsters
or adults who are highly creative and productive, we find that they can
fill a page of ideas, without slowing down, in two to five minutes. Look
back at your own list. How many ideas do you have?
One tip that
might help you expand your list of short breaks is to think of activities
that are related to the longer items. For example, if "going to a movie"
was on your longer list, think about adding shorter ideas to your
five-minute list:
∎
Check the newspaper for an uplifting movie to see tonight or on the
weekend.
∎
Call a friend and make a date for a movie.
∎
Read a movie review in the newspaper.
∎
Ask a friend to recommend a favorite fun movie.
Next, go to
your daily schedule and begin to plan your breaks into your work day. For
the first week, you might take several two- to five-minute joy breaks
during the day for practice. Observe both the quality of your work and
your mental processing immediately following your breaks. We think you
will find a noticeable improvement in all areas.
I find that
this takes constant practice, dedication, and evaluation. As I purposely
begin to play using the same skills, dedication, and commitment that I
bring to my work, I am amazed at the results. However, I have to keep
reminding myself why I am doing this. I may be more of a workaholic than
most people, but giving myself deep inner permission to play is a big
hurdle for me. It helps me if I step back and assess the big-picture
results and reassure myself that I am not just off on a lark. As I find
that I consistently accomplish more, team more effectively, and think far
more creatively when I keep my life balanced with refreshing, spontaneous
play, I am able to relax and trust the process without guilt or
reservation.
Have you ever
finished a game of golf or tennis and felt depressed or
frustrated-anything but refreshed and joyful? Have you ever gone on a
family outing and spent all your time keeping up with the kids and
worrying about their fun, then come home exhausted? Can you remember a
vacation that became an extension of work for you? You were still rushing
to meet a preplanned schedule, fitting in with other people's
expectations, and going through the motions, but you were not experiencing
the fun you had hoped for. What happened?
Many of us
have forgotten how to play the way we did when we were children.
∎
Playing just for the fun of feeling good, not to win or for social
prestige or connections.
∎
Exploring and being curious just because it is enjoyable and interesting.
∎
Changing focus any time your attention takes you elsewhere or you lose
interest in what you are currently doing.
∎
Avoiding scorekeeping or competition. Maybe you know how many
chinaberries you can chunk into the birdbath, but it is just as much fun
to chunk for the sake of chunking.
∎
Being highly active, exploring the range of what your body can do.
∎
Staying in close touch with your current emotions and feeling comfortable
wish spontaneous expression.
∎
Using fantasy, becoming an animal, an astronaut, a villain. This allows
you to explore roles and possibilities safely without it being real or
permanent. (Calvin, of "Calvin and Hobbes" in the comics, is a whiz at
this.)
∎
Resting whenever and wherever you feel fired, staying in touch with your
body's needs and responding to them.
∎
Nurturing yourself and insisting that others do also. Very young children
frequently get what they want because they let everyone around them know
what they want and cause others to want to give it to them. We all know
the symptoms when a youngster wants a nap!
∎
Spend twenty minutes playing with a young child, letting the child be the
leader. Notice the difference in how the child plays. There are no rules,
or if there are, they change as the child's mood changes. If a rule blocks
the fun, children just change the rule. Fantasy stimulates good feelings
when reality seems to limit their possibilities. And there is very little
competition in their play. Little children encourage each other to do
well: "Let's color pictures," "Let's see if we can climb up to the
highest branch," "Let's dig a hole all the way to
China."
∎ Take
a look at the suggestions in Joy List
In our
research we learned that the mental processes used in play and creative
acts actually change the chemistry of the brain and bring about more
energy. Childlike play is a way to tap this resource.
Most of us
have to unlearn our adult, competitive, product- and goal-oriented
behavior before we can once again relax into the healing process of play.
There is nothing to measure or evaluate, no score to keep-only a release
of self into pleasure. Play is usually a win-win situation. And it is
literally done using different mental processes. In the list at the left,
we describe some of the key characteristics of childlike play. Ask
yourself how recently and how often you have enjoyed this renewing kind of
fun.
You can see
that these characteristics of childlike play are very different from those
of adult play, which focuses on competition, rules, and keeping your
dignity intact. A warning! Learn the difference between childish and
childlike behavior - it is critical in rediscovering the enormous fun and
renewal in little-kid play.
When you are
childlike, you free yourself to enjoy fun but stay aware of the needs and
rights of others, making sure not to invade their privacy or become a
nuisance. You don't have to play by other people's rules, but you can
enjoy yourself without infringing on them. On the other hand, when you are
childish, you think only of yourself and ignore the rights and feelings of
others. Childish behavior will interfere with your effectiveness, while
childlike behavior, in which you allow yourself to be vulnerable and trust
others, can improve your effectiveness, your teamwork, and the synergy
around you.
