When’s the last time you had fun? I mean, laugh out loud, throw caution to the wind type of fun. Our society tends to devalue play as we get older. We push it aside because we have more “important” things to do.
Did you know?
- Guilt-free play is one of the best things you can do to overcome procrastination?
- Producers and peak performers take more vacations, are healthier, and focus on the right things.
According to Neil Fiore, author of The Now Habit, producers understand the importance of play and enjoy it guilt-free. Instead of dreading a big project, scheduled guilt-free play lets you know that there will be rewards along the way. Thus, this method can help you stick to things long-term.
In order to do quality work, you must stop putting off living and engage in fun and relaxation. One of the reasons we procrastinate is because we fear that once we start working, we won’t be able to have fun. We learn to associate work with pain. Guilt-free play flips this on its head by scheduling the fun stuff first.
To improve your productivity, you must make your work periods shorter (less painful) and your rewards more frequent.
The enjoyment of guilt-free play is part of a cycle that leads to higher quality, creative work. The cycle begins with scheduling guilt-free play which gives you a sense of freedom that makes it easier to focus on short periods of quality work.
As you get better at enjoying guilt-free play, you’ll realize that more insights come to you throughout the day. You’ll notice that playing the guitar, hanging out with friends, taking a vacation will provide insights and “aha” moments that will fuel more quality work. You’ll see that guilt-free play is quality work. It’s in the same bucket.
References:
Fiore, Neil (2007) The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
