Reposted from November 8, 2015
I just had a great weekend. I discovered that making shortbread with my new KitchenAid mixer is incredibly quick and easy compared to the old elbow grease method.
I enjoyed some long dog walks in with a friend and had time to start reading some escapist fiction.
I also worked on Saturday and Sunday and the above doses of fun kept the weekend feeling like a weekend.
Next week I am facilitating a Grit & Growth panel presentation with four great lawyers at the CBA Leadership Conference for Professional Women. In preparation, I have been on an intensive Grit & Growth research project and one thing I know for sure is that fun is essential for Grit and Growth.
Fun isn’t frivolous.
Fun is rejuvenating; it refreshes your mind and body.
Fun helps keep you functional when under stress.
Fun can give you a fresh perspective on problems,
Fun increases your energy and prevents burnout.
Fun is good for your brain.
Fun stimulates creativity and innovation.
The Monday Morning Practice is to add some fun to every day of your week. If you are like me, figuring out what is fun for you might take some thinking. We spend so much time focused on being more productive and getting things done and fun doesn’t make it onto our to-do-list. It’s the last thing we thing we should be spending time on.
In fact, fun is exactly what we need to spend time on.
To seek out your fun, start by thinking about what you liked to do as a kid. I loved going for long walks in the woods and ready fantasy fiction for hours. My fun now is long dog walks and escapist fiction.
Kirsti who has a busy commercial litigation practice loves puzzles. Nothing spells fun for her like a puzzle spread out on the dining room table.
Cory the IP lawyer is a BBQ master. His version of fun is preparing a beef brisket for friends.
What is your fun? Is it playing computer games? Singing? Crafts? Cooking?
Whatever it is, give yourself a dose of fun every day this week.
Read some escapist fiction.
Watch funny videos on YouTube.
Download a game on your Ipad.
Make cookies.
And remember, fun isn’t frivolous. It’s essential.
