I am fun challenged. I am sure there are a number of you who are harboring the same embarrassing little secret. We know how to play, at least intellectually. It’s pretty simple…just go out and do something that gives you a sense of joy and does not have as its end a specific goal or result.

Lots of things can show up as fun or play. What I am talking about is the intent you approach what you are doing. If you are intent on the result it is going to be hard to show up as fun or play. If the reason you start the activity is to finish it then it may not be fun. If your idea of fun is to beat your playmate into submission you may need a fun intervention.

Play is more cooperative and less competitive. The end result of play is fun. The end result of work is the accomplishment of a task. As children we played a lot. As adults we don’t play so much. Think back to your days as a young person. In my youth we played a lot, creating games, making up new and unusual variations based on equipment (or lack of) and personnel. We stopped playing when it was time to eat or got too dark to see.

We didn’t need a start time or a reservation to play. If someone extra showed up we made room. We just made it work since the outcome was only to play. The outcome wasn’t dependent on anything other than fun. If no one had fun it was not a good day. But, honestly, how often did that ever happen? In my memory it never happened. Our intention was simple…play.

What do you do to play in your world? How are you approaching your “game time”? Do you come at it from the attitude of accomplishment or one of cooperation and fun? When was the last time you just played for the sake of playing?

Let’s go out and play!

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
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