As I lay there staring up at the ceiling, wondering why I wasn’t motivated, I shot to my feet with an epiphany: enjoy what you’re doing.
Stuck on the Couch
Not long I go I was stuck. I was laying on my office couch taking a break, struggling to get up. I knew there were things I needed to do, and I knew I didn’t want to do any of them.
Just a few weeks prior, I had written the procrastination post so I knew there was a reason I wasn’t motivated. I just didn’t know what it was. More importantly, I knew I needed to figure out why I didn’t want to do these things, because I knew they were not only valuable, but necessary.
What was holding me back? Why was I so resistant to do the things I needed to do? It was at that moment it hit me. I thought to myself, “you need to enjoy what you’re doing!”
Simple but Overlooked
Sadly too much of life becomes focused on doing things out of habit instead of really considering them. Building strong habits is awesome (and Zombie Goals can help you do just that), but mechanically doing tasks without enjoyment will never last.
It’s not enough to build good habits and do the work. Sure you’ll get things done but one of two things will happen: you’ll get so fed up with it that you will abandon it all one day, or you’ll reach a point late in life where you wonder why you did it all.
Yikes.
Sometimes the simple things are the most overlooked: enjoy what you’re doing. Sure, you need to do the work, but you need to find out how to enjoy it. Here are three easy steps to enjoy your tasks.
How to Enjoy What You’re Doing
When you want to make the most of your tasks, make them fun. It not only makes the work enjoyable, it enables you to do more and work more effectively. Try these simple tricks to enjoy what you’re doing:
- Add Fun: Add music, throw on a TV show for background noise, or just sing out loud (unless of course you work with others – I’m looking at you, Bob).
- Make it a Game: Time yourself to see if you can get a task done in a certain amount of time. Race a coworker. Cheer for yourself every time you finish a task. Be crazy with it and have fun.
- Sprinkle in the Fun Tasks: A lot of times we try to eat the frog and do all the crappy tasks before we get to the fun ones. If you find you are simply not enjoying your work at all, make sure you have a decent amount of fun tasks to get you through the day.
To enjoy your work more and be more productive, you can enjoy what you’re doing by adding fun, making it a game, and sprinkling in the fun. It’s your life! Make it wowful!
