If You Find Me...

"To whom it may Concern;

I am chronically human.  If the following signs are observed, I am not emotionally disturbed or dying:

• If you find me stumbling and falling, I may just be trying something new – I am learning.

• If you find me sad it may be that I’ve just realized that I have been fooling myself and making the same stupid mistakes over and over again -- I am exploring.

• If you find me terribly frightened, I may just be in a new situation – I am reaching out.

• If you find me crying, it may be because I failed – I am trying.

• If you find me very quiet, it may be that I am planning –I will try again.

• If you find me angry, I may have just discovered that I was not really trying – I am erring.

• If you find me with a strange self-satisfied smile, I may have just discovered that I have everything I need for growing – I am knowing.

• If you find me ecstatically happy, I may have finally succeeded – I am growing. 

These are life signs of beings of my nature.  If prolonged absence of the above indicators is observed, do not perform an autopsy without first providing a fertile opportunity for life to emerge. "

This is from Personal Achievement Skills Training, at the Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at the University of Arkansas.  I thought it captured a certain openness of the emotional human condition.  I had to share.  

How Playing Can Make you More Productive.

My daughter is six years old.  She’s got tons of energy she’s always playing, running and jumping.  As soon as she’s asked to do something she doesn’t want to do she’s too tired.  She sounds pretty childish, right?  But adults do this all the time. 

On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, you’ve worked hard all week and you know that there’s a lawn that needs mowing. But you’re just too tired because you worked hard all week and just need to relax. You’ll mow tomorrow, right?  But when you buddy calls telling you he wants to put together a pick up game of basketball you’re up and out the door.  Why? 

Because playing breathes new life into us.   We draw greater energy for playing than we do for labor.   The keys are amusement, lightheartedness, and challenge.

There’s so much resistance to do work because we’re tired. But it’s because we’re thinking about things the wrong way.  Have you ever wondered why sales departments hold contests for highest sales, and other businesses hold competitions for performance.  

A long time ago, someone figured out if you make it a game you get better results.  People get psyched about playing games and competing.  They bring more from inside themselves if they are excited about what they are doing.

It’s all in how you view what you’re doing.  If you change how you view required tasks it will alter your performance. 

If you are a filing clerk, see if you can file all the files in that bin in the next 15 minutes.  If you a part of a sales team, see which team member can sell more in a day.  If you are an executive challenge yourself to complete as much of your “To Do List” before lunch as possible. 

Anything that you can do to make your day more playful will transform the grudgingly difficult work into a game.  Take it less seriously.  Become more childish. 

Goal achieving can become a game too.  The goals of our lives are set on the back of smaller achievements and each is accomplished one at a time.  If you challenge yourself in a playful way to achieve the tasks that get you to your goals, getting there will be faster and also more fun. 

When my daughter resists cleaning her room or doing other chores, I’m always quick to make it a game.  I challenge her to timed trials, or a race to see if she can beat me to complete it.  She gets to have fun and the gets the job done.  

Apply this mentality to your workday and see what fun you can have accomplishing more.  Life's a big game anyway.  

Have fun!