Are You Having Enough FUN?

Issue #14

As business owners and entrepreneurs, working hard is coded into our DNA, but are you making sure to add enough fun to the mix? I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that I used to be the “put your head down, plow through, check it off of the to do list and move onto the next item” kind of gal, and it wasn’t healthy or sustainable.

As a GenXer, I was also part of the hustle culture, which was all about getting out there and getting as far ahead as you could as fast as you could, with the hopes that you could slow down before the average retirement age of 65. The big problem with this, however, is it means not truly enjoying the prime years of your life.

Which leads me to this week’s lesson …

Don’t Forget to Have FUN!!

Thankfully, back in 2009, despite being up to my ears with personal and professional responsibilities, I decided I needed something that was just for me. So I decided to get serious about my writing and signed up for a local class on writing for the children’s market (yes, this was fun for me – to each their own). And while this required carving a few hours out of my workday once a week for 8 weeks, it was soooo worth it.

It also connected me to a woman who would become not only my teacher, but my mentor and friend over the next ten years. We continued to meet around her dining room table every other Monday morning while school was in session and I was always happy to hop out of bed on those days and start my week off doing something I truly enjoyed.

Did it mean I often stayed a little later at work on those Mondays to make sure I got everything done? Sometimes.

Was it worth those extra hours to add something I loved and brought joy into the mix at a busy time in my life? Absolutely and without a doubt.

Fast forward to today, and my idea of fun is rooting on my home team as often as possible. I started my career with the Sixers and will always love basketball. Now I get to enjoy it from the stands with my daughter in tow as fans for life.

Does that mean I’ll have to cut out of work early 10 times this year to make it to the game on time? Probably.

Can I plan for it and make sure everything is taken care of ahead of time on my game days so I’m not missing any important to do’s?YES.

The key is scheduling your fun just like you schedule everything else in your life to ensure you make it a priority.

Do you have an old hobby you’d love to get back into? Or would you love to find something fun you can do together with your spouse/kids/friends?

As we head into the weekend, I’m encouraging you to move FUN up on your list of priorities. And when you make the time to truly unwind on a regular basis, you’ll be amazed at how much more productive you’ll become at work as well.

Here’s to a fun-filled weekend ahead and many more to come. 😎

With you on the journey…