What would this look like if it were fun?
What do these three things have in common:
Running 300 miles
Attending an Astros baseball game
Cleaning your room
All of them benefit from this thought that comes from New York Times bestselling author, James Clear
Make your habits fun.
This doesn't mean each habit will be the most fun thing in your life, but nearly any habit can be made more fun than it is currently. Ask yourself, "What would it look like if this was fun? What would it look like if meditation or exercise or writing—or whatever—was fun?
Find the most enjoyable version of each habit you do.
(James Clear)
Running 300 miles
When I was in fourth grade, I attended Ross Elementary, a school located just south of Houston. At the time, our district was making a push to promote movement. Convincing elementary age students to run roughly a mile a day over the course of an entire year during the height of Nintendo games like Donkey Kong Country was no easy task.
Out of this was born, “Race to the Alamo,” a year-long, 300-mile race for elementary school students filled with landmarks, historical facts, competition, pizza parties, and FUN. I loved it and so did hundreds of my classmates. Houston is essentially located 300 miles away from the Alamo in San Antonio so the idea was that students would spend the entire year logging 1-2 miles each day to try and accumulate 300 miles before the last day of school.
I doubt I would have just hopped outside each day for a quick mile if my teachers had tried leaning into the health benefits of running. It needed to be fun for it to take off.
Astros Baseball
This summer we are traveling back to Phoenix and Houston to see our families. It will be our first time making the Singapore ——> US trip with four kids 😬 We’ve got lots of activities lined up for both cities but I decided to add a new one this summer—baseball! I want to take everyone to an Astros game in Houston and a Diamondbacks game in Phoenix. Unfortunately, baseball is foreign to our kids, aside from the time we watched Angels in the Outfield (an oft-forgotten Joseph Gordon-Levitt classic).
So how do you get everyone excited about spending hours watching a game they don’t understand from uncomfortable seats in 100 degree weather?
Enter the Churro Dog.
For $9 and 1,100 calories you introduce a level of fun never before experienced by anyone in the group. Leah and I learned years ago that a fun treat can change any experience for our crew. So I’ve been hyping baseball over the last few weeks by showing the kids the stadium treats!
Cleaning Up
I mean, do I even need to add any further explanation?
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The point is, our lives are filled with tasks, chores, and other to-do’s that just don’t get us excited. That’s ok. That’s life. But this question gives you permission to look at these events differently. It empowers you to take control of every situation and decide how fun you want to make it.
This is one of my professional goals for next year: bring the fun! This doesn’t happen on its own. It takes intention but even just bringing a “fun” mentality can change the dynamic of a meeting, interaction, or task.
Not everything will be the most fun thing you’ve ever done, but everything can be a little more fun than it currently is. The next time you’re dreading a certain activity or event, ask yourself, what would this look like if it were fun?
Keep Asking,
Kyle