Change Your Play History: 15 Tips to Increase the Fun in Your Life
"Joyfulness keeps the heart and face young.” ~ Orison Swet Marden
Life without fun is like the sky without the sun or the ocean without water. Fun is all about creating good times for yourself. Fun adds color to a black and white world. It's essential to your well-being.
Lately, I've spending a lot of time with my 2 year old grandson. We've visited the zoo three times in the past 10 days.
He loves the petting zoo, the red barn, and all of the animals. He chases the roosters, caresses the soft feathers on the hen as she sits on her eggs and giggles as the pigs twirl their tails.
This week I invite you to increase the amount of fun in your life. It's a good responsibility to have. With a little planning you can visit new places and see and do new things.
Read on to discover. how to get your fun meter running.
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~ Charlie Chaplin
1. To have fun become a fun person.
I grew up on an 88 acre produce farm. My siblings and I began working when we were five years old. When we were ten we were expected to work up to eights hours a day planting, harvesting, and selling produce at the Farmer's Market. My mother, with her playful, attitude taught us how to make work fun. In all types of weather, we sang, laughed, and made up games, and contests to pass the time together.
On April Fools Day silliness and practical jokes are the norm. We make an intentional choice to adopt a playful attitude that brings joy and happiness to those around us.
2. Write down 5 things you like to do.
Coffee with friends, a Saturday morning group run or browsing a bookstore are a few inexpensive ways to add enjoyment to life. Attending concerts, the theater, or sporting events at a nearby university can make an ordinary weekday feel like Friday. Participate in activities that will free you from your routine.
"At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities." ~ Jean Houston
2. Carve out time for fun.
Create a plan to make the things on your list happen. Decide what day and time works for you. Clear your calendar, hire a child sitter in advance, and break free. Turn off your electronics and give fun your full attention.
"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity." ~ Germaine Greer
3. Be spontaneous.
My sister has third row, season tickets, for the Detroit Red Wings games. She invites her best clients to attend but they often refuse to take the time off of work. Unplanned fun is often the best kind. Accept the next five invitations you receive. Get in the habit of saying “yes” to pleasure and fun!
“Fun is good.” ~ Dr. Seuss
4. Experiment with life.
Try something new. Meet new people. Learn to explore. Take a dance or cooking class. Instead of your usual movie and dinner on Friday night, plan an evening hike or bring out an old board game.
"Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods." ~ Japanese Proverb
5. Make fun a habit.
Create a ‘to be’ list and put fun at the top. Choose to smile and laugh more, learn how to be silly. Watch stand-up comedy both on and off line. When ever I’m in a line waiting, I challenge myself to see if I can get one person around me to laugh. It's rare that I fail. It only takes practice to learn how to make others laugh.
“Ask not what fun does for you. Ask rather what you do for fun.” ~ The Oaqui
6. Make small changes.
Watch a sunset or sunrise, ride your bike, or watch an old movie. Experiment with unusual music. Wear a new color or change the way you wear your hair. Go barefoot. A life lived in a rut is like waiting to die. Change one small thing today, color your world happy.
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” ~ Walt Disney
7. Save your change.
For one year, everyday, save all of your change. Put it in a large, clear container. Think of it as your fun money. Plan a road trip. Each time you make a deposit, mentally plan where you’ll go and what you’ll do. Repeat this every year. If you live 25 more years imagine what you could see and do!
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” ~ Unknown
8. Shut off your television, cell phone and computer.
Free your mind. Be present. Notice your surroundings. Make eye contact with strangers. Engage in conversation. Get connected face-to-face. It’s good for your soul.
"Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families." ~ Colin Powell
9. Slow down.
Taste your food. Turn off you inner critic. Savor quiet moments. Stop thinking and talking about your work or your 'to do' list. Enjoy being with yourself. Become someone who is fun to be around.
"Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. ~ Bill Watterson
10. Refuse to gossip, complain. End the comparison game.
Nothing good comes from participating in these things. They will suck the energy, life, and joy out of your existence.
“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” ~ Dr. Seuss
11. Don’t take life so seriously.
If you find yourself full of fear, worry, or dismay seek outside help. Commit to taking action for what you can change and let the rest go. You won’t be able to enjoy life until you do.
"We never have to tell small children to have fun!"
12. Feed Your Inner Child.
Play board games. Join in a pick-up game of basketball or football. Paint. Roller blade. Run. Swim. Visit a farm or a country fair. Get outside. Go to a friend’s house and play. Have a slumber party. Play charades or truth-or-dare. If I sound like I'm repeating myself, it's intentional!
"We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun." ~ William Glasser
13. Enjoy the small stuff.
Find time to notice, appreciate and enjoy, a cup of coffee, a quiet morning, a cool breeze, a full moon, a joke, the stillness of a mountain, the laughter of a child.
"I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot" more fun." ~ Charles R. Swindoll
14. Rent a cottage with other friends or family.
Share the expense and the joy. We did this each summer when our children were in high school. My memories of those times with our friends and family are priceless.
"I don't have a normal job, so I really appreciate having friends who are writers and artists. It's fun to have a group of people you can call in the middle of the day to go for a hike." ~ Natalie Portman
15. Spend time in nature. Go camping. Plant a garden. Visit the botanical gardens. Pick your own strawberries or blueberries. Build a tree house.
Life is too short to be anything but happy. I believe we are here for joy, fun, and adventure. Why not make it a priority!
Want a perfect opportunity to get the needed support for changing your life? My friend Anastasiya Goers is offering a one month 'Live a More Balanced Life Challenge' FREE!
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