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What do you do for fun? Kermit likes flies, but he’s a frog. What makes you happy? Have you taken time out recently to do some of the things that make you smile? Taking time off for fun is not a luxury. It’s mandatory if you want to achieve your dreams. Your dream for success is probably filled with happiness. So it doesn’t make sense that the road to success should be filled with drudgery. You have to experience a little levity along the route if happiness is your goal.
There is no truth to the myth that you have to work like crazy and have no fun in order to reach the upper levels of success. You need to balance hard work with joyful play. So what’s it going to be today? A hike in the woods? Ice cream? Playing basketball? A road trip? A game with your five-year-old nephew? Schedule your fun time with equal reverence as the time you set aside for work. It is no less important. Do something that makes you really happy today.
Make a list in your journal of all the things you can think of that would be fun to do at this very moment. Don’t limit yourself to affordability, time, or location. Let your mind enjoy the exercise. Come back to this list often and add to it whenever you are feeling weighed down by your work responsibilities. Make sure you do some of the things on that list. The assignment isn’t over until you’ve given a few of those ideas a whirl. Take time to have your flies. Life is too short to save up all of the fun for the final chapters.
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You have studied the importance of fun in your life throughout this book. There is a reason for that. Nobody wants to spend their days toiling away. That is no way to achieve your dreams. We all need a little softness and light to balance out the hard stuff.
Spend some time today going back through your dreams for success. You have written about them a number of times in your journal. What do those dreams look like to you? Are they full of misery and pain? That is highly doubtful. Dreams are happy, fun, joyful, and hopeful. If for some reason your dreams are not full of fun, then you’re not doing this right. Throw away your journal, and start over at Day 1.
What do you really want?
Most of us just want to be happy when we get to the core of our dreams. You can obtain some happiness today—right now if you want. Just do something fun. This does not have to mean quitting your job and spending your life savings on a trip to Disney World.
Stop your chores for five minutes and play with the family pet. Read a funny story on the Internet. Listen to your favorite music. Look at a piece of artwork that fills your heart. None of those things cost money, and they all invite a little fun into your life. That fun is like getting an infusion of energy, and you will be better equipped to go back to the tasks you want to complete today. Life should be fun every day. If it’s not, you have no one to blame but yourself. You control the joy you let into your life. If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.
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Lee absolutely hated his life. He hated his job, he hated his car, he hated his house, and he wasn’t that fond of his dog, either. He was a brilliant engineer specializing in robotics, and he had used his talents to rocket to a pretty lofty height in his profession. Now he found himself as an upper level manager. He was no longer building robots. Instead, his job was to tell other people what they were doing wrong when they built robots—at least that’s how he saw his job.
He was outwardly successful, but Lee was not having any fun. He liked building robots, and his job no longer required that skill. He liked people, but he spent most of his day on the computer in his spacious office and his evenings in a big, empty house out in the suburbs. He liked dogs. His best buddy growing up was a mutt his parents rescued from the local shelter. But a former girlfriend got him a purebred something-or-other, and it was high maintenance and no fun at all.
Lee was not a success. He made a lot of money, and he owned a few things that gave him the appearance of being a successful person. However, Lee didn’t have fun in any aspect of his life. He had not yet achieved his dreams.
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