Finding fun when work has sucked you in

I’d been sucked in, like I’d been slurped up and stuck in the middle of a straw.  I could see light at both ends, but here in the middle I was just wedged in tight.

Tunnel vision had taken over and lately I’d lost a piece of myself in the process.

 Have you ever had that happen?  Where you become so focused on a goal or project, that you forget what it’s like to just live, and god forbid…play a little?

For months now I’ve been driven to create a new on-line course.  I love working on it and there’s this visceral need inside of me to “birth” this project.  Everyday I sit and create or learn or tear my hair out or celebrate what I figured out.  It’s an emotional rollercoaster and I’ve been so absorbed, that my “fun” genes have begun to shrivel up.

Stunned, I realized that I was thankful a pandemic had given me the excuse to be glued to my chair, so I didn’t get distracted by having coffee with friends, going shopping with my girls, or enjoying a trip to the lake.

My obligations (self-imposed) had taken over my life and squeezed out the parts of me that likes to laugh and live a little.

Have you ever been sucked up by the ‘I have to’ or ‘I can’t’ mentality?  

What is it about us that causes us to prioritize work over fun?  Yes, I know work can be fun, but I mean the be silly, get giddy, go on an adventure type of fun.

I know that when I’m feeling light, joyful, and happy- life flows with greater ease.  Projects go smoothly, my stress levels are down, and I’ve a ton more patience, for myself and others.  My challenge is to remember the upside of playing hooky and taking a break.

What it boils down to is this – I need to say “yes” more.

When the opportunity comes to spend time with my family and friends, I need to embrace it and roll around in the sense of freedom and fun. 

Yes, there needs to be a balance, I can’t be galivanting all over and let my work slide.  But I can schedule in time to shut down the brain for a bit and rejuvenate my body and spirit.

So, these past few weeks I’ve been saying yes more and it’s paying big dividends.

My daughter, Amanda and I took an entire day to just be together, not even a weekend day, but one in the middle of the week (gasp).  I had a hair appointment down in the Cities and she tagged along.  One of the blessing of the pandemic is my girls need to get out of the house, which translates to spending more time with me, even if it’s just to run errands.

We went to lunch at Patrick’s Bakery, where they have her favorite pistachio macaroons, split, and switched our sandwiches (mine was better) and avoided the summer bees interested in her tea.

Then we went shopping for her senior pictures outfits.  We scored big time with special deals, huge discounts, and she found the cutest blue felt hat at Free People.  I nailed the deal of the day at DSW and ended up with Marc Fischer leather boots marked down to $50, and the best part was Amanda’s response “OMG, that always happens to you.”  Yes, my sweet girl, it does!

We had an amazing day, filled with laughter, yummy treats, and great memories.  And to reward me for just letting go, the Universe surprised me with a big check in the mail from my insurance provider.  It was a refund on my health premiums, totally unexpected, but the check more than cover our day out.

So, let’s recap.

I decided to leave my obligations behind for a day.

I was present with one of my favorite people.

I let go of my need to control my day.

The Universe showed up for me BIG time.

It’s time to do more of this, to take time to play, to set aside the need to always be accountable for my time, and to go with the flow of life.

I’m feeling movement.  I’m not stuck in the straw anymore, but it feels more like a water slide.  I can begin at one end, take a deep breath, and let myself be carried away by the flow and land right where I’m supposed to be.

Plus, I get to giggle along the way.