Have you gotten to a point in your business where it doesn’t feel like fun? When your business is that taxing on you, and you're not getting away from it to recharge, the last thing you want to do is quit your business.
You have to be able to find ways to recharge yourself so you can do your business justice.
In a 2008 article by Dr. Peter Gray called The Value of Play I: The Definition of Play Gives Insights, he defined these 5 characteristics that define play. Think about how you can incorporate them into your life and business.
- Play is self-chosen and self-directed.
Players are always free to quit. This is you choosing the act of play, and you directing the act of play. It's on your terms. Play is the freedom to quit as an essential aspect of its definition.
- Play is an activity in which the means are more valued than the ends.
It doesn't matter what the outcome is, what matters more is the activity.
- Play has structure, or roles, which are not dictated by physical necessity but emanate from the minds of the players.
The challenge is how to play without requiring some physical elements to be present in order for it to happen. Play starts in the mind first.
- Play is imaginative, non-literal, mentally removed in some way from real or serious life.
Play is not supposed to be serious. So if you get all stressed out hosting your family for a summer picnic, that is not playing. That is you planning a family gathering that's going to stress you out. And play is supposed to be a way to remove yourself from real or serious loss. You don't want escapism or things like that to happen, but play is all about your imagination.
- Play involves an active alert, but a non-stressed frame of mind.
You want to learn how to rest and play in a way that you can be restored, fulfilled, and able to give more to your endeavors without just pushing your way through all the time.
If you want to learn more about how you can take care of your mental health and your business health, check out 024: Why Taking Time Off To Play Is Critical For Business Health
