Sometimes I get lost in focusing on money and business and lose sight of my playful side. I start feeling grumpy and sluggish and think “Why am I so obsessed with money?” But the truth is I’m not: money is this great game to me, as long as I’m connected to my sense of play with it. If I’m not connected, then it’s just another stupid thing to do.
Our culture seems obsessed with goals. Now I think goals can be fun. But they are just another part of the game, they aren’t the point. The point is to enjoy ourselves.
Joy is fundamental to all my money-making games (i.e. businesses). People ask me how much I work, since I’m all about working less. What I answer is that I have to work about an hour a day, but I want to work more because I have a blast doing what I do. I work on projects all the time. Right now I’m figuring out how to delegate and outsource monkey tasks so I’ll have even more time to do that. It’s what I love to do. If you gave me a million dollars right now, I’d just develop bigger projects. Well, and work on them in Bali and Costa Rica and some other cool places. But I wouldn’t quit my “job”, because I don’t have a “job”, I have a life.
So I’m not exactly about working less. I’m about freeing up your time and energy to do whatever it is you love. Which could be what most people would deem “work”.
However, even though I am doing what I love, I can still shut that inspiration and play out of my experience if I get focused on striving and struggling and “reaching my goals” and being all serious.
So I try not to do that. Here is what helps me:
1. Having fun people around.
2. Taking breaks often.
3. Throwing goals away as often as necessary when they become boring or tedious.
4. Indulging my inner child as often as possible.
5. Travelling and going new places.
6. Dealing with any emotional issues promptly before they get into resentment and covert hostilty and grumpiness.
7. Affirming my overall goal often: I want to have fun. I want to play. I want to enjoy this moment. I want to be happy today.
Yeah! I want to have fun too!
Emma – I’ve had a blast reading/learning/reflecting on Tao of Prosperity! Thanks so much for your sharing your insight and clarity.
Much love to you!
=) Thanks, and thanks for reading!
Emma,
I’ve been blown away by your articles, even though it looks like they were written a few years back. Because many of the topics and reflections are hitting me right where I am in my life.
Thanks for publishing such great insight.
@pdxrob17
Heya, thanks for the reminder to come re-read this post. Timely for me too. Yeah, this site spans about five years, so it’s good to hear the older stuff is still good. =)