It’s fun to go fishing regularly....

Recently I was exposed again to Fish, that fantastic story at the Pyke fish market. This book/video always makes me smile. The underlying theme is............ FUN!

Sometimes, we take ourselves too seriously. We have unachievable deadlines to meet, pressure to succumb too , bosses to keep happy. So why not see things a little differently? Come from a different place a place of having FUN and getting work done. No, you don’t have to throw fish around to have fun. Find other ways to have fun in your work. Some examples that I’ve experienced that make work fun are simple, put on some music and start dancing (from experience let me tell you it gets those endorphins up and running), celebrate a success have an impromptu morning/ afternoon tea. I would sometimes go past a beautiful bakery in Toorak and buy my staff custard donuts and we would have them for morning tea. Wow! Did that make their day? Of course it did!!

We must remember, it’s the little things that make a difference. You could even have a crazy hat day or put family photos on the wall or guess who it is in the baby photo. These things don’t cost money but, they create a sense of community and fun. Contrary to what you might think “Work Made Fun Get’s Work Done”.,

Let’s look at the FISH strategies

1. Choose your attitude

2. Play

3. Make their day

4. Be present

Such a simple set of strategies to work with. So why do we get so caught up in ourselves and our deadlines?

Let’s start with:

“Choose your attitude” - only you can choose the way you feel. Nobody can make you feel anyway unless you choose it, not your boss, not your wife & children or the man who cut you off on the road. These things will all happen, remember life is a journey and there are bumps in the road, detours or pot holes. Look at ways to change the meaning you put on it so your boss has bought a deadline forward you can whinge, moan, groan and bitch about he always does this.....blah, blah, blah or you can find a way to fit it in to your day, delegate it or outsource it. Have the behavioral flexibility to know that everything is achievable you just need to find a way.

“Play” - find ways to play at work, make it fun, laugh, take yourself lightly.

“Make their day” - there are so many little ways to make their day, buy a coffee, chocolate or even just write a card noticing their great work. Remember good work that get’s noticed gets replicated. Everyone wants to be made to feel special and important in some way. 

“Be present” - be fully present at work for your customers and colleagues it doesn’t matter what is happening in your personal life. Use work as an outlet to have fun, your problems will still be there when you get home if that’s what you choose. Remember we all have choices in life take the scenic route.

Have another look at the “FISH” book by Stephen C. Lundin, PH.D,Harry Paul and John Christensen sometimes we just need to revisit a concept to refocus ourselves. Find 10 ways to play in your work place and let me know how it went.