Go For Fun

by Dave Ellis

The motto “No pain no gain” can easily lead us astray. Struggle and sorrow are not prerequisites for excellence and maximum productivity can come from maximum fun. 

When I suggest creating a life filled with pleasure and celebration, some people object that this might kill productivity. If people just went around enjoying themselves all of the time, then no one would get anything done.

Perhaps the opposite is true. 

I work with people who are dedicated to solving serious problems in the world. For the last several years, I’ve provided life coaching to three leaders of international, nonprofit organizations. All three people are dedicated to ending poverty and hunger within our lifetime. And one of the goals they have for their organizations is to end poverty and hunger while having a blast. 

You might ask what’s so fun about poverty or hunger. That’s an understandable reaction. Nearly 30,000 people die every day from lack of food. People who are committed to solving this kind of problem tend to get a little serious. My purpose in working with these organizations is to help people bring joy to their work. I think they’ll end poverty and hunger sooner if they structure their jobs so that they love what they’re doing. 

Telling people to go for fun is a little like ordering them to be spontaneous. By their very nature, fun and spontaneity are almost impossible to command. Yet we can set up conditions that favor fun and set the stage for laughter. Play with the following suggestions. 

Discover everyday pleasures

Often we can discover enjoyment even in the most mundane tasks. For example, washing dishes can be a sensual experience, a chance to enjoy the pleasurable sensation of warm water contacting your skin. Mowing the lawn can be an excuse to get outdoors and exercise on a summer day. And buying groceries offers the chance to gather ideas for delicious new meals. Keep looking and you’ll find pleasures waiting to be had in the midst of daily life. 

Celebrate more, produce more

Compare two work environments. The employees in one office barely speak to each other. During lunch time they huddle at their desks for a solitary sack lunch. By mid-afternoon these desperate people start watching the clock. They’re silently waiting for the time when they can slink out the door, unnoticed, to drive home. Despite the nose-to-the-grindstone atmosphere that prevails here, the company is barely profitable. 

In contrast, the people who work at the second office see each other regularly. At the beginning of each meeting, they “check in” with each other and socialize for a few minutes. This practice paves the way for enduring friendships that extend beyond working hours. In addition, their cubicles and hallways occasionally reverberate with laughter. The prevailing spirit of cooperation and teamwork leads to sustained growth and low employee turnover. 

This is not just a hypothetical example. For a decade I owned a consulting and publishing company that often created an atmosphere of fun. We set aside regular times for the purposes of deepening our relationships and celebrating our successes and the company was highly profitable. My goals in starting this company were to work with people I love, to make a difference in the world and to have a ball. 

People who enjoy their work are more likely to excel. Ask almost any skilled artist, executive, teacher or musician to explain what drives them in their chosen profession. They might tell you about long years of study or hours spent in practice rooms. They’ll also tell you how much they love their work and look forward to getting up each day. We can follow their example and find ways to bring a spirit of passion and play to our own work. 

In any environment, including those in which productivity counts, we can take time to celebrate. We can celebrate the beginning, middle and end of a project. When someone proposes a brilliant idea or develops an innovative product, we can celebrate. When the company meets a goal, we can celebrate. And when the company misses a goal, we can celebrate what we learn from the mistake. 

Just laugh.

It seems logical to laugh when we have reason to laugh, a hilarious joke, a slapstick gag, a comic stunt. We can also create humor from nothing, even when there’s no “reason” to laugh. 

For example, you can buy recordings that consist solely of people laughing. Almost no one who hears these can resist the urge to join in. Laughter truly is contagious. 

Sometimes just laughing means noticing your usual tendencies and then doing the opposite. For example, one common response to getting laid off is to weep. Well, if you lose your job, you can weep and then use another strategy: throw a no-holds-barred party. 

Some people will object that this action makes no sense. Tell them that celebrating with friends at such a time makes at least as much sense as isolating yourself and feeling miserable. 

While promoting laughter, we can also practice dropping antagonism. Much humor is unloving, cutting or cruel. Comedian W. C. Fields said it: “I never saw anything funny that wasn’t terrible. If it causes pain, it’s funny; if it doesn’t, it isn’t.” 

Perhaps Fields was wrong. We can look for humor that is inclusive and kind. This kind of humor underlines our common problems and shared humanity. For example: 

“So you think that money is the root of all evil? Have you ever asked what is the root of money?” (Ayn Rand) 

“When you come to the fork in the road, take it.” (Yogi Berra) 

“Lord grant me patience and give it to me now.” (Alcoholics Anonymous saying) 

The benefits of laughter are so great that it pays to cultivate humor systematically. We can scan the comic pages for our favorite cartoons and clip our favorite strips. We can watch situation comedies and collect recordings by our favorite comedians. Regularly raiding our humor stash can be a lifesaver. 

Zoom out for instant perspective

Remember the situation that once seemed so disastrous and now seems so funny? You know the one, the time you took off your shoes while visiting a friend’s new home and noticed a large hole in one of your socks. Or the time you got home from a date and realized that your fly was unzipped all night. The passage of time has a way of bringing out the humor in what was once an embarrassment. 

You can learn to compress time: Start laughing as soon as a screwy event occurs. With practice, you can mentally zoom out from the situation to gain perspective. Ask yourself, “How will I view this situation twelve months from now?” If you’re going to laugh at yourself then, why wait? You might as well start now.

*Excerpted from Falling Awake, Creating the Life of Your Dreams.

Dave Ellis is an author, educator, and philanthropist. His book, Becoming a Master Student, is the best selling college textbook in America. In addition, he has authored or co-authored several other books on human effectiveness. Ellis is also a nationally known lecturer and workshop leader. He also founded The Brande Foundation and has given away millions of dollars. His website is www.FallingAwake.com.