How to be a Fun Killer
Are you going a mile a minute with back-to-back meetings, work, children, personal projects, while thinking about what you’re cooking for dinner and getting “organized” for the holidays?
You’re left feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and even bored from the groundhog’s day feeling that can arise when we push ourselves in overdrive.
I mean, seriously, where is the F-U-N
It can be easy to think that this chaotic schedule is happening to you (been there).
It’s Exercise Time
Instead of killing the fun, here’s an exercise that I give my clients that are in this de-fun spiral.
Make a list of 10 ways in which you squash fun.
Writing them down will require you to stare at how YOU are contributing to feeling overwhelmed. It can be confronting. And then choose one or two things from your list (to start) where you can show up differently in your leadership.Here’s an example of a list I started a few years ago.
How I Squash Fun in my Daily life
Being busy every moment of the day
When I have a win, I ignore it and immediately focus on the next big opportunity
I tend to overextend myself in every area of my life.
I stay up late responding to emails. This means not being able to get up early and work out because I’m too tired.
I delay making decisions because something better may come along.
I do the easy stuff first. Which is often the mundane stuff and doesn’t inspire me at all.
I say yes to client requests no matter what.
I use fun as a ‘reward’. (Ex: I get to watch that movie once I’ve cleaned up the house)
I compare myself/my life/my kids to other people’s lives/kids.
I often over-effort/overthink.
As one of my mentors says, “this issue isn’t the issue, the issue is how you relate to the issue.”
As you move through your day, your busy week, and get ready for the holidays, I encourage you to come up with your own list of “10 ways I squash fun.”
Then stare that list in the face and see where you can show up in leadership. Can you stand in trust and not worry that that client will leave you if you say no and maintain a boundary? Can you stand in fun and choose the fun thing before the reward?
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We’re here for a nanosecond and laughing and enjoying life is what it’s all about.
XX,
