Put the Fun Back into Life
The dark and dusty attic was full of old furniture, holiday decor, and boxes. Over 40 years of memories stored in these rafters. I opened a box to find my childhood journals.
I opened the pink journal on top and read “Another LONG day in the car. Almost 8 hours!”
HA! These were my tales from a two-week journey from Northern California to Yellowstone National Park. My summers were defined by the family road trip. Dad would start each day with his checklist of our must-see/do for the day.
- Wake up at dawn
- Drive into the park - don’t miss the bison
- Checkout Old Faithful
- Relax a bit at Old Faithful Inn
- Move onto Morning Glory Pool
- You get the idea….
Have you ever thought about how much of your vacation style is shaped by the trips you took as a child?
Fast forward to my Tahitian honeymoon a decade later. I awoke on my first day in paradise and hightailed it over to the activities desk. I quickly filled our week with adventures. Next, onto the pool and where I was befriending couples and making dinner reservations.
My husband looked at me from his lounge chair with an alarmed look on his face and asked, “What are you doing?” “Making plans” I reply. “My only plan is to sit here poolside with you and my cocktail.” he says. I’m speechless. I’ve never just sat and done nothing.
Suddenly it struck me, there’s always more than one approach to anything. Even how to have fun on vacation.
Of course you know this. It’s drilled into your head in grade school when you learn there's more than one way to solve a math problem. Or you are forced to work in a group to complete a project. But this almost always applies...even on the beaches of Bora Bora.
How to Have More Fun
What role does fun play in your life? Think for a moment how your idea of fun has been shaped by others in your life...your parents, friends or other significant relationships in your life.
I spend a lot of time writing about how to manage time and the process to reach your goals. Today I want to switch the narrative and focus on finding fun in the journey.
“What you do everyday matters more than what you do once in a while.”
Gretchen Rubin
So it’s worth finding what you love. Make the time to have fun. Spend time with people that make you happy.
This comes easier for some than it does for others. If you're someone on the struggle bus try these tactics to put more fun back into your life.
- Think back to the last time you lost yourself in an activity. This is called being inflow. You can be in flow at work or at play.
- How did you have fun as a kid? Go out and do that.
- If you’re a planner, give yourself permission to find the fun in a spontaneous moment
- Spread the laughter, if a reel or meme makes you laugh, send it to a friend. Here are a few of my faves.
- Block time for fun (yes the total opposite of the bullet point above, but you have to do what works)
- Go on vacation as much as possible, make it the first thing that goes into your calendar
You don’t have to feel that something is missing from your life or accept that your life is dull. It simply takes a little bit of hunting and soul searching and you can bring some joy and fun back into your life.
Grab your freebie!!
You don't have to chose between your personal and professional life. Here's my secret weapon for getting the family chaos to calm.
