It’s often said that business has to be a serious topic, that there is no space for fun, but I have found after 10 years of building my own business, that if you don’t incorporate time to play, you will make the road even harder.
Playing, it’s not all about the entertainment value. It’s not just about distracting yourself from the chores of the day and have a relaxing time.
If you remember back when you were a child, you discovered the world through play. You used to go on adventures inside your house and slowly but surely learn about the world and yourself. All while having fun.
As we become adults, we often forget that playing is still a valuable tool for engaging different parts of our brain. It recharges your creative batteries and can help you see a different perspective to any challenge you are facing.
And as serious as life may be, incorporating a little bit of fun and games can completely change the way you perceive your world.
For example, the other day a good friend of mine noticed that my to-do list has a ton of items labeled as “Kingdom expansion,” “Castle Maintenance,” “Leveling Up” among other terms. When he asked me about it, I just told him that I love to incorporate a little bit of gaming within my business.
As I love everything related to fantasy games and epic stories, I decided to make my business my personal role-playing game. Such things like improving my business become “Kingdom Expansion” while learning new skills have turned into “Leveling Up” quests.
It’s a tiny change, and nobody really notices that I do it, because it’s just for me, but it helps me stay focused and engaged. It creates fun around my business and engages not only the responsible adult but also the inner child who wants to enjoy slaying dragons and saving the day.
Does that mean you should do the same?
You can use my idea, sure, but the point is for you to engage other parts of yourself. Running a business already creates enough stress that you should at least have a little fun while doing it.
You don’t have to turn your whole to-do list into a game, but you can incorporate time for you to experiment and discover new ways to move things forward freely. Or perhaps create a simple reward system for hitting your goals.
By allowing fun to be a constant part of your life, you can create a new sense of balance and energy. Before I did that on my to-do list, I used to feel overwhelmed by the number of things that I had to tackle within a day. Now, I feel a sense of progression and fun, just like when I’m playing a good video-game. I wake up full of energy and ready to tackle my tasks, or should I say, quests for the day.
You can achieve the same, it’s all about discovering what’s fun for you. Perhaps you need something simple like celebrating after a full day of work or maybe adding an epic score to your workday to keep you pumped.
Soon, you will notice a positive change; because your inner child is always full of energy that you can tap into if you are smart about it. The only thing you need to do is to open the doors and incorporate a little fun while you grow your business.