Have you ever wrapped up your workday and walked away thinking, “Wow, that was actually fun”? Is this a weekly occurrence for you? A rare monthly treat? Or does it never happen at all?
If you’re not having genuine, meaningful fun at work, it may be time to rethink your entire approach to work life, says Bree Groff, author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously).
The core idea that work ought to be enjoyable didn’t fully click for Groff until 2022, when her mother received a terminal cancer diagnosis. She stepped away from her role at a New York-based transformation consulting firm on leave to care for both her mother and her father, who was living with Alzheimer’s disease. After her mother passed away, Groff returned to work part-time with a completely new outlook on what matters.
“One big truth that became crystal clear while caring for my parents is that at some point, we will run out of Mondays,” she explains. “They aren’t a renewable resource. So what are we really doing to our lives when we spend five out of every seven days just wishing them away?”
Two dominant narratives frame how most people think about work. The first is the common attitude that work is called work for a reason: it’s just a chore we power through to collect a paycheck. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the famous mantra: “Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This phrase claims the solution to draining, unfulfilling work is to turn your job into your core passion and central identity.
But that notion also doesn’t sit right with Groff. Many of the leaders she has collaborated with over her career pour every part of themselves into their work, yet they sacrifice their health, sleep, and personal relationships in the process. They do this all while waiting for a big payoff that is always promised to come someday in the far future.
How to Add More Fun in to Your Work Day While Still Getting Work Done
