It’s Just Business, but It Should Be Fun

Business should be fun. Life should be fun. If the things that I am doing in my every day are making me crazy, then I shouldn’t be doing them.

I was going to make a list of the reasons that business should be fun, but I have a feeling that if you don’t agree with me on that point then you’re probably not reading this blog anyway. Just in case, however:

• If you’re having fun, you are more productive. Smiling and laughter increases oxygen flow to the brain and creates endorphins, which in turn makes you more clear headed and creative.
• If you are happy, you are relaxed. If you are more relaxed then you make better decisions.
• People like happy people. People buy goods & services from those they know, like and trust. If people think you are happy and excited about your business, they will be too.

This is something that I was thinking about over the Christmas holiday. I usually use holidays as time to step away from working, spend time with family, and meditate on the direction of my life and business.

Without waxing too philosophical I’ll say that it’s easy to get so caught up in business that we forget why we started the business in the first place.

I’ve never actually met an entrepreneur who started a business just because they needed money. That could be my lack of experience, but every entrepreneur that I’ve ever met has told me that they started their business because they had a passion for something or because they saw a need that existed.

There are certainly moments when I need to hunker down and do the repetitive stuff that is required in business. When that stuff stretches on for ages, however, its time to start figuring out how to make it fun again.

This is where I am at this point. I’ve been doing a lot of repetitive work, getting ready for the new year. I still have a lot of it to do, but I’m forming in my mind a plan for a new product or opportunity that I think will be a lot of fun. It’s a contest of sorts, with a bunch of artists involved. Should be really great, and everyone involved should make a little bit of money.

Enough foreshadowing, however. I’ll have more information on that shortly.

Here’s a list of things that I do when business starts to suck and I need to make it fun again.

• Stop working. I get up, stretch, and walk away. Even if it’s just for a minute, it helps.
• Watch something funny online. It’s easy to get carried away, but once I’m in a better mood I am more creative.
• Read my scriptures. The inspiration and Spirit that flows from the Bible and the Book of Mormon are a source of enlightenment and rejuvenation to my soul. I often find that when I am at a loss for what to do, the Scriptures give me a direction to go.
• Work on something new. I brainstorm a lot. I have a lot of cool ideas that I never implement, simply because I don’t have time, but coming up with new ideas gets me excited and motivates me to get something done so that I can move on the next big thing.

What about you? What do you do to make business fun again?

Tagged as: business, dreaming, fun