Fun, The Secret Ingredient Into Big Life Changes, Who Knew?

Hi, happy July!
For me, this month always makes me think of vacation and fun in the sun. July feels like the embodiment of summer to me and for whatever reason it always has. I think about warm sun, water, sand, and iced cold tea. July makes me want to be whisked away on vacation to play all day long.

As I was thinking about the fact that July is upon us and ways that I can really make the most out of this month of fun; it made me start thinking about fun in a whole different way. It made me start thinking about it in a bigger way. One of the things that I have learned is that fun really is the secret to success, and to positive life changes. This lesson has been something that I have learned over and over again. I wanted to share this little recipe with you so you can try it out for yourself.

So often it is easy to get caught up in the thinking that fun should be used as a reward system. I think this reward system method starts at a really young age for most of us. As children, we work hard in school and then are rewarded with recess, or some down time, or time for art, etc. This method is played out in the home as well so it becomes a norm.

I have watched how this kind of reward system gets carried into adulthood for so many people. I know that I have experienced it in my own life many, many times over. While this method does encourage balance and follow through which are great; I have also seen how this can lead to a lack of fun as people transition into adulthood.

Here are just a few examples of the ways I have seen adults implement fun as a reward system in their lives:

Once I get all of the items checked off of my list today, then I can do something for me.
Once I earn my degree then I can start to enjoy my life.
Once I get that big promotion then I can spend more time with my friends and family.
Once I retire then I can start to live and do the things that are important to me.

Do any of these things sound familiar to you? Focusing on long term goals is wonderful and leads to fulfilling life experiences. However, the challenge shows up when we shelve the fun in our lives because we don’t make time for it on a regular basis. It is when our to-do lists no longer include our fun or restoration time, or we decline plans with loved ones regularly where things can begin to go by the wayside. This is when the logical override begins to show up and it can sound a little like this:

Well, since I didn’t get everything done, I don’t get to do something for me.
If I work harder, then I will have more time tomorrow.
Spending time investing in my passions and hobbies is something I can do anytime; I don’t need to do it today, even though I would really like to.

When these kinds of situations seems to repeat over and over again we can start to feel burned out, uninspired, and like some of the magic has gone out of our lives. It can feel like every day is the same and that life is constantly on hold for some elusive time. The truth is that life is happening right now, today, right this very second.

So, the magical ingredient to shifting this experience actually comes down to fun. This can seem like a counter-intuitive experience however it is actually the secret to shifting everything. Here is what I have found in my own life and in working with others. As you increase fun in your life, you actually up-level every component of your life. Now, that makes sense when we think about it but the slippery slope is how we implement it. While most of us think that we should schedule fun after everything is done (insert whatever it is that you are working on) then we can experience fun. However, that is the exact opposite! That is the equivalent of placing the cart before the horse.

So, it is in carving out time for fun on a regular basis no matter how much you think you don’t have time for it where the magic happens.

When you do this; the doors open. Do you know why? Because everything comes down to energy. I know, that may sound a little bit out there, but it is really true.

When you increase your fun factor

You feel better
You feel more like your true self
Your excitement level increases
You become more inspired
You have more energy
and You increase your life satisfaction

All of these things lead to real life results and positive changes. I have watched my own business change by increasing fun in my life. I joke that when I go on vacation people come out of the woodwork and want to get into my schedule asap, sometimes people I haven’t worked with in over a year. Why? Because when we increase our fun factor we shift everything and people can feel that.

I have watched people connect with mentors, new partners, increase clientele, shift their health and happiness, and feel like they have gotten their lives back by making fun a priority. To me those are pretty huge reasons to make fun a priority. You don’t have to go on long far away vacations to experience this, although if you can, awesome! Carving out time daily even 20-30 minutes actually allows the shift to happen. (Even 15 minutes a day will do wonders!)

Here is the important part….are you ready?

You actually have to do it.

It is one thing to put the reminder into your phone, into your scheduler, or into your day planner; but it is a whole other thing to actually invest in it. Increasing your fun factor doesn’t include doing chores while talking on the phone. (Yes, many clients have told me that this was their idea of fun because they didn’t remember how to have fun.) I’m talking about a segment of time that is something that makes you feel like you are in the fun zone. That can be anything that really makes your heart sing.

Blast some favorite music and dance like no one is watching the way you did when you were 13
Go for a walk
Read a book for fun
Watch a favorite funny movie
Ride your bike
Go for a swim
Grab a cup of tea with a friend and talk to each other in person
Work on a project that you have been meaning to get to
Take a class
Play tourist in your own town
And anything else that sounds like fun to you

You may want to make a pact with a friend or a partner to create a recipe of fun for 21 days this month. Research shows that when we do something for 21 days we create new habits. This is a pretty healthy habit to cultivate don’t you think? Honestly, not only does increasing fun create personal benefits but it also creates professional benefits too. I encourage you to create a recipe for fun and positive life changes this month. Enjoy this process and watch how things begin to shift for you. If you find that you get a little stuck here and there, let the people within your world know that you could use some support to help you get back into your personal fun zone. You could definitely help to inspire the people in your inner circle while enjoying yourself and making some positive changes at the same time.

Do you know someone who could use some more fun in their life? Do you know someone who feels like they could use some support to shift from where they are into a place that feels more aligned with who they are? Please forward this message over to them so they can join in on this fun recipe for success.

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