A special thank you to Amparo Pineda and Jimmy Bruinsma for reminding me that I had not sent out my message yet this week. You guys rock!
“Having fun, we get more work done.”
When I talk about this Core Value, it is centered around having fun in the workplace, which allows us to get more work done because sometimes it helps us forget we’re even working. It does not always have to be about work or the workplace, though! Sometimes having fun can help you accomplish something a little easier than you would’ve been without the fun. Please allow me to explain.
Last weekend one of my daughters had a boyfriend visit over the weekend. I knew about a week beforehand that he would be visiting, so I had time to make some plans for us. I knew that they had their friends and would probably be spending some time with them, but I knew it was perhaps crucial for me to spend some time with them. My daughter had been with her boyfriend for almost a year, and I barely knew him; that was not a good feeling, and I wanted to work on that.
I know my daughter likes to eat steak, and I know that she wants to be on the water, so I made plans to take them out to a steak dinner and spend the day at the lake while still respecting the dreams they had already made with friends.
We went out to dinner one night, and it was enjoyable. The waiter was funny and had a good attitude, and the food and the desserts were excellent, which is always fun. We even had fun ordering appetizers, and since we couldn’t decide between a few of them, we just decided to order them all! It was a great evening, but because the vibe was fun and comfortable. It allowed for easy conversation, and I was able to ask a lot of questions and learn a lot about him and his family and his story, which of course, many of you who know me know I love hearing people’s stories.
The following day we headed out to the lake to ride Jet Skis and spend time with our friends. The weather was perfect, it was not too hot, and the sun was out, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We would ride for a while and stop and talk, and when we got tired of riding, we took a break and talked some more. At the end of the long day, our friends who hosted us lit a fire, and we sat around talking even more while laughing and having fun.
We also had breakfast the following day together, which was fun. I say all of this not to brag about how much fun we had but instead to make a point. A week before this young man was set to visit, I knew I had a job to do. I knew my job was to get to know him and connect with him since, over the last several months that he had known my daughter, I could not spend much time with him since he lives far away. I was hoping to get this job done and accomplish this mission, and I did and here is the simple reason I was able to, WE HAD FUN!
The fact that we had some fun things to do did help us get more work done! Only this time, it did not work that was getting done. It was conversations and questions, and storytelling that was able to take place. It made me realize that having fun not only allows you to get more work done but it allows you to accomplish anything more easily!
Having fun will help you have better relationships, it will help you have better health, it will help you have better success at work or school, and there are probably hundreds of other things it more easily allows you to accomplish!
Life is precious, and life is short. Let’s all try to live, laugh, and love in the short time that we have here on earth. In our final days, all we will have is the memories we have made and the people around us that love us. Let’s try to have fun every day and get more accomplished because we get more work done by having fun!
You may have something you’re trying to accomplish or some goal you are trying to achieve, and I hope that you try incorporating some fun around it so you can get it done!
Thank you for reading this week and thank you for being amazing and allowing me to be a small part of your life; I am truly grateful.
Until then, remember to serve others every day!
