When Is The Last Time You Had Fun?

How many times, lately, have you told yourself, "I’m just having TOO much fun!"??? I don’t hear this often enough from women – in fact, many of us don’t even make the time for fun in our lives. We are much too serious! Our schedules are full. Business has taken over our lives.

I have been guilty of that. Often, like sex in a marriage, it comes down to the cold hard fact that fun must be scheduled – or, it doesn’t happen at all! I know that women feel that is taking it a step too far. Fun should be spontaneous. Well – yah – of course it should. But, really, when is the last time you had too much fun?

I advise my clients to start thinking about the months of June, July and August. Summer in Canada can be short and, before we know it, fall is right around the corner. Now, I’m not rushing things but I do know that, unless you plan ahead and write things (in ink!) in your calendar, it’s just not going to happen. So, I want you to begin, right now, to develop the habit of scheduling fun in your day – yes, starting today!

This is a great habit and is easily transferred into your business and/or career. People don’t seem to be having fun at work anymore. We can change that! You do have the power and you are in control of your calendar.

When I was on my world tour, I had a job to do. I was there as a Tour Leader, to assist and guide the passengers and write the travel blog for the trip. That, in itself, was fun enough for me! And while the itinerary was full of educational and interesting things to do and places to go, we did have a ton of fun too! In Africa – we, the tour leaders had decided, while in Hong Kong, to go to the market and get some fun wigs which we would wear at the time of the bush party. The shopping was a whole new experience for me – late at night, in the streets of the big city, looking for fun wigs, of all things! Then, while in Japan, we visited some of the most amazing temple s and also had fun there – my good friend, Susan, was one of the few who was able to get through the little hole in this column – the point of this was if you were able to get through the hole, you would then be able to enter the kingdom of heaven! Well, in my dreams...that’s for sure! It was all good fun!

"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father" - Roger von Oech

So, whether it’s trying a new fitness class, learning a new language, or getting out there and partying – it’s essential to our health and well-being to have fun. In what I believe is the first edition of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book (which, to this day, is my most favorite book), there is a story about a man by the name of John Goddard. At the age of 15, he sat down at his kitchen table in Los Angeles and wrote three words at the top of a piece of paper: "My Life List". Under that heading, he wrote 127 goals.

Since then, he has completed 108 of them. Now, I’m not necessarily telling you to go to that extreme; however, I am suggesting that, this coming (long) weekend, sit down with your family and make your own list of "My Fun Things to Do List". Let your mind go wild.

Some of the items John listed include: (just to give you food for thought!)

* Learn to fence
* Appear in a Tarzan movie
* Become a ham radio operator
* Become proficient in the use of a boomerang
* Watch a fire-walking ceremony
* Perform 200 sit-ups
* Visit the birthplace of my grand-father
* Ride a horse
* Explore the Nile River

I love to watch Dr. Oz on TV – that man obviously loves doing his show. If a prominent heart surgeon can host a show where he has so much fun, each and every day – why are you being so darn serious in life? He knows good heart health and obviously ‘playing at what you do’ is a very good thing!
YOUR ASSIGNMENET

1. Make time, today, to begin your list of Fun Things to Do.
2. Share this list with your family and hold yourself accountable by putting dates for each item.
3. This weekend, do one fun thing that "you have always been meaning to do" and pay attention to how that makes you feel. And hey, if it was that much fun – then do it again!

Do some of these exercises and I guarantee that you will start to live your best life. When you add more fun to your life, you are developing the confidence and courage to move forward and invent the life you truly want to live. You also become much more fun to live with!