"Unless each day can be looked back upon by an individual as one in which he has had some fun, some joy, some real satisfaction, that day is a loss."

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) 34th US President

My daughter has a swimming lesson once a week in the term time. It gives me half an hour or more to read and make notes. However, at the last lesson we were a bit early, so my daughter asked if she could play solitaire on my mobile (cell) phone. That was fine, as I didn’t need it, but she suddenly rushed off to her lesson, leaving me with a half-played game. So I decided to finish it.

And there I was, still playing, when she came out after the lesson! Initially I thought that I SHOULD read the book I had brought along with me (On the subject of Confidence Building) and that I really OUGHT to make some notes. Then I decided to go with the flow, enjoy the games of solitaire and have some FUN! I realized that I am as guilty as the next person of feeling that I should be doing all the time. I very rarely sit down to watch TV, as usually I am standing in front of the ironing board, tackling the washing mountain. I hardly ever read a book any more without it being relevant to my job, and much as I enjoy them, I think I need to lose myself every so often in the wonderful world of fiction. Sometimes I need to do just nothing!

And how about you? Are you as guilty as I am at not allowing yourself some time for fun? Or if you do, have you truly left everything behind, or is your mind still dwelling on issues at work, or all the things you have to do at home. Is your brain filled with one big To Do List? Tell you what, over the next two weeks, I’ll promise to let myself have more fun and relaxation, if you will. What do you think? Drop me a line and let me know how you get on…..

I would really like you think about having some fun over the next couple of weeks. Not so much that you don’t keep on top of all that you need to do, as that would be self-defeating, (too many guilty thoughts to contend with!) but enough that you feel recharged and regenerated. (Unless you are on your holidays, of course, then please feel free to have as much fun as you can handle!) So many of us are overwhelmed by all that we think that we have to do that we often lose sight of the real picture. By allowing yourself some break time, you will be able to approach the tasks that will move you towards your goals with a clearer perspective and renewed enthusiasm!

On our lists, whether written or mental, many of us let enjoying ourselves come somewhere near the bottom – if it appears at all. What little thing can you do today that will add more fun to your life? Plan it in, and then some for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day…..

This is primarily about you, but don’t feel that you can’t have fun with other people. If anything, it can heighten the experience if it is shared, so, get on the phone, send that e-mail message and plan something with those people you know will get as much out of the experience as you. This could mean actively pursuing enjoyment, but also you can take pleasure from increasing your activity levels each day. I always feel good when I have been energetic (it’s those endorphins, don’t you know!), however, recently I have been introduced to a new form of exercise by my trainer, Eric. Boxing. It is BRILLIANT! I have done it twice and both times I felt fantastic for the whole day afterwards! Now that was fun!

Don’t take my word for it, and don’t do it because you think I, or anyone else for that matter, say you should be having fun. Do it because you really want to. If you’re not quite sure where to start, think back to the things you enjoyed doing when you were younger, that you no longer do. You could try them out again and see if they give you as much, if not more pleasure. What have you secretly been thinking you might like to try but have been too nervous to? Why not give it a go?

Usually we are trying to break habits. How about starting a new one? The habit of including some form of recreation every day. You can use your creativity to devise ways of starting your habit. How much time you can allocate will be one of the deciding factors. Come up with as many ways as you can to add that touch of pleasure to your daily life. Having fun doesn’t have to involve a great expenditure in either cash or energy. For some people it can be just doing nothing for a while. The message here is to do whatever makes you feel good, whether it is something or nothing. The choice is yours, and because it is your choice, that makes it even more enjoyable!

Kate Harper
http://www.harpercoaching.com