How does your day usually begin?
It’s easy to slip into habitual action: pouring a cup of coffee, then immediately checking the socials, the calendar, email, the news.
Imagine how different your day would feel if the first thing you did was to ask yourself: What do you need from this day?
It’s a powerful way of directing your brain to look for (and create) what you need to receive.
We get to set the stage for the day, before the stage is set for us— in ways we never intended.
It is normal to focus on result-producing activities.
After all, the more we can cross off in a day, the better the day went.
Right?
If this were true, then why don’t we feel better more often, in all of our busyness?
The time seems right to question where all of this productivity is really getting us. No level of productivity seems to fill us up. At least not for very long.
Busyness is the opposite of intentional living. And without intention, we forget the vital ingredients for a live well-lived: play, creativity, and fun.
Somewhere along the way, we were sold the idea that there’s no room for fun and play in adulthood.
Or that permission to play is reserved for the sake of children.
Yet, every minute does not need to be results-driven. Because the result we’re really after is control and balance in our lives.
What If We Prioritized Play?
What might happen if we invited in more creativity and play? What if, instead of remaining in habitual action, we were to take the time for what fills us up? To restore our energy?
If that feels impossible in your life right now, I understand. I used to think it was impossible too.
I know how it feels when life is devoid of play. In the past, I’ve tended to overcommit to work, and to others, at the expense of play and fun.
But when I’d keep my head down, hustling through overscheduled days, I’d get resentful. My relationships would suffer. I’d get mad at my schedule, impatient with others, and frustrated with myself. Because I know there’s more to life.
Now, I’m better at guarding my time.
This means saying Yes to less in exchange for more personal time. I do something fun every day. Sometimes it’s a quick walk, or time spent reading for pure enjoyment. Other times it’s creating jewelry or sitting outside, facing the sun.
Life feels more balanced and rewarding when I do these things for myself.
Now, let’s talk about you.
Do you know what feels restorative? I invite you to keep a list of things you love to do.
A Joy List includes things that feel fun, creative, and playful. Things as simple as sitting outside for a sunbath, making art, or baking.
Then try devoting a minimum of 15 minutes to fun and play.
It may sound too insignificant to matter, but it is how we build a commitment to self-care.
This is how we place our worth on something beyond what’s measurable.
Why We Override Fun
Most often, when we aren’t making time for fun, it’s because we have fallen back into an old, well-rehearsed line of thinking. A line of thinking that has us believing that we are better, and our time is better spent, when busy and producing.
Play is regarded as the reward that comes AFTER the day’s tasks are dutifully completed.
Yet, the days are both too full and too short to ever indulge in any reward.
In this model, overachieving, perfectionism, and people-pleasing determine how we measure up in the world, and how we relate to ourselves.
But what if play and fun are the means to a rewarding life that feels balanced and grounded, no matter how far down the day’s task list we get?
In this model, we nurture ourselves, independent of what we do. Instead of wondering if we’re good enough, we get to ask ourselves what’s good for us.
Add in some fun and play … 15 minutes, minimum, starting today.
You have the recipe for positivity, greater happiness, and life of love. Use it to make something good.
P.S.- You can change the way you do life. I am a wellness coach for busy, overworked women who are looking to feel better. In my 12-week program, you create simple, impactful habits for reclaiming your health, time, and energy.
Your health and lifestyle are interconnected. When you focus on one change, everything else changes with it. When you elevate your thinking, your body changes. One simple shift, and your whole life changes for the better.
I invite you to schedule a call with me, where we’ll talk about how to get you from busy to balanced.