Well, the challenge is on.  How can we put more fun and subsequently more energy into our work in 2010?

People are tired.  Tired of pretending all is well when it might not be, tired of bad news, tired of things not going exactly as planned.

The antidote to tired is right at your finger tips.  Try these things today and see if you don’t see a difference.  Share them with your family, friends and staff.

1.  Look in the mirror and smile.  Not a regular smile, but a big goofy smile.  Put the light back on in your head and your body with your smile.  Smile at other people in the office, in the store and on the street.  Absorb the return smiles.

2.  Wear new underwear.  Go out and buy a different color, a different style or something you haven’t tried before.  Let what is “underneath” give you a smile and new perspective.

3.  Plug in your ipod, log on to iTunes, tune in a radio station or pop in a CD of really upbeat music to accompany your email work today.  Let the music guide your responses and how you feel about this task.  Come up with a good number of different songs that you can have going when you are doing email.  Look forward to email because you know you will get to listen to something you love and that gets you going.  (Headphones please if you share an office!)

4.  Stand up.  Get up from your desk and use a Blue-tooth or headset and walk around today.  While you are standing, try to do so on one foot.  Balance is a key indicator of good physical health.  Work on yours.

5.  Put your to do list on something more fun.  If it is on your blackberry/i Phone move it to colored paper in the morning and put it up on a wall or tape it to the top of a notebook.  Draw a quick picture to go with each item.  (Smiley face, stick figures, skull and crossbones, whatever will give you a lift when you get to the task.)

In other words Play More!

Wow!  2008 is really here!  As a manager/leader you now have the opportunity to have some fun.  You see, you can make fun out of anything, resolutions, work or what happened to me on New Year’s day……

You see my New Year started off so-o-o-o-o-o-o bad that my son commented. “Mom, you have no where to go but up.”   What happened was the septic system at my mountain cabin froze (more…)

Do you remember a job that was so much fun that you couldn’t wait to go to work? Where everything hummed because you were working hard, getting it done and people enjoyed each other? Are you in that job now? Do you remember how this feels?

If not, there is a way to get there again. You could quit, probably not your first option. You could speak up and stir things up to get others to change. Probably risky if other people don’t think anything is awry. OR, you could take a look at what you are bringing to the job and change that, even today.

Working hard and having fun are not in opposition with each other. In fact they are great pals. The big secret to the two working together is (more…)