Are you having fun?

Happy new year!

In what is in some ways the most challenging week of the year, I want to ask a question: 

“What would the first week back in January look like if it were fun?”

I’ll explain.

I’m currently reading “Feel Good Productivity” by Ali Abdaal. In chapter one, Abdaal talks about how having fun is likely to make you more productive and happy at work. He suggests that, when approaching a task we’re less than enthusiastic about, we ask ourselves a question:  

“What would this look like if it were fun?”

I really like this idea. Fun, however, can be hard to come by in the first week of January. After all, it’s the week when we take down the Christmas decorations, come back to work and eat only vegetables after what is for many a fortnight-long cheese and booze-fest. The party’s over, so where’s the fun in that?

It’s not easy, but I think it can be done.

Admittedly, fun can sometimes be hard to find in the law but if you look hard enough, it’ll be there.

In writing this, I recalled the times I’ve had fun at work.

• That time I went to a networking event in Manchester and, along with someone else, won the competition to find out the most obscure fact you have in common with another person in the room (we both went on honeymoon to Costa Rica and visited a banana plantation – not together though…)

• That time we went round our side of the office and had endless fun looking up what was number one when we were all born (mine was Do Ya Think I’m Sexy by Rod Stewart!)

•  That time a client challenged me hide U2 lyrics in our emails. I’m certainly not advocating such childish behaviour. One can end up stuck in a moment you can’t get out of.

• The many times I’ve been to events in London and travelled with friends on the “party train” back up North.

Anyway. Over to you. Is it possible for you to have fun this week? Even if you’re back at work, eating lettuce, doing dry January and broke? I challenge you to crowbar some fun into this week somehow. Perhaps you could:

• Listen to an amusing podcast on your commute (apparently Off Menu is good).

• Get a nice coffee on the way to work, making sure you give the barista a big smile (they’ll be likely to return it).

• Chat to a friendly colleague.

• Listen to uplifting music on your headphones whilst you work.

• Watch a comedy sketch on YouTube on your break.

Let me know how you get on!

~ Rachel