Put Play To Work

My nephew enjoys digging in the dirt, loading and unloading dump trucks, moving it from place to place. He even puts out safety cones to be sure everyone is aware of his construction site. We need a lot of cones around because there are a number of locations in the yard, all in different stages of demolition, to which he contently moves to and from in his moment to moment shifting of attention.

He and I were out in the yard the other day, and he had me digging and shifting dirt along side him. We had a fun time of it, singing “Zip a dee do dah” and asking each other, “What’s going to work?” and responding in unison “Teamwork!”

Now, there are grown men who spend their days digging holes in one place, moving that earth to another place, using shovels and trucks. They call this work. They play when their work is done for the day. In client services we do knowledge work. Instead of shovels, we use problem-solving; instead of trucks we steer conversations. The substance is the same. We’re making something into something different, and the fun usually comes after work.

Here I am with a 4-year old playing at working. So I asked myself why so many of us do not find our time at work as enjoyable as our time at play, assuming of course we make time for play.

You might be thinking something along the lines of “but adults can’t play at work because yada, yada, yada.” I ask you to quiet your mind and allow yourself to explore what makes you separate the feel good of play for whatever you replace it with (stress perhaps) while you work.

See if you recognize yourself in any of these statements?

Work is serious, important stuff, not to be taken lightly.

Work is where you get recognition and are acknowledged for all you get done. n
You play (relax, enjoy) after the work is done.

Substitute the word ‘school’ for ‘work’ and see how far back you go to when you started to form your beliefs. Do you see tricycles and snack time?

The story I had been telling myself over the course of my academic and professional career was essentially put off being happy until the work was done, projects finished, clients satisfied. I ask you, is the work every done? Following this logic, a fun aunt I’d never be.

When you’re feeling good, you have more choices and enjoy what you’re doing more, don’t you?

Here are my observations and recommendations to allow the feel good of play back into your work.

1. Children play at work. Adults work at work.

Recommendation: Sing “zip a dee do dah” or do whatever you can to keep you in a feel good state while you’re busy making things different to what they currently are.

2. Children are in the moment. Adults are in what just happened or what could happen next.

Recommendation: It all happens in the moment; focus on being present.

3. Children get upset when an adult makes them stop their play and do something they don’t want, like take a nap or have a bath. Adults can get upset when they stop what they are doing.

Recommendation: Stress happens when what’s happening isn’t how you want it. Choose to accept what is.

Then repeat recommendations 1 & 2. If that doesn’t work, take a nap!