Rule 10
Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride
The goal in life is to live young, have fun, and arrive at your final destination as late as possible, with a smile on your face.
You only have one ride through life, so you should enjoy it. This is a central theme in The Energy Bus, and all of the “Rules for the Ride of Your Life” contribute to leading a purpose-filled and enjoyable ride.
So what are you going to do to make sure you enjoy the ride? Are you going to ride with your eyes closed or are you going to open your eyes, breathe deeply, and be present by taking a look at all the wonderful things that are going on around you? You have to make a choice.
As with other rules in The Energy Bus, the approach to Rule #10 is simple. You enjoy your life by knowing your purpose, meeting great passengers, sharing positive energy, giving people the gift of your smile, and radiating love. There is a lot of beauty to see along the way, even in tough times.
One strategy to enjoy the ride is to slow down. Slowing down does not mean decreasing productivity. By slowing down you actually increase productivity. When you slow down and take time to enjoy your life and work, you are actually more productive.
Another strategy is to commit to making time for fun. Life is made of memories. When you look back on yours, will it be filled only with stress, or will it be filled with the sweet rewards of enjoying work and life? Commit to fun. It is an important part of enjoying the ride, and you have to make time for it the way you make time for work and other priorities.
Ask Yourself about the Ride
- 1. What are five ways you will slow down to enhance joy and productivity?
2. What do you consider fun?
3. Write down three things you will do to make your life more fun.
4.Write down three things you will do to make your work more fun.
Activities for Enjoying the Ride
Make Time for Adventure
Identify one action you are scared to take, but if you did, it would enhance your life, career, and/or family. Write down the action and think of a way to turn it into a reality in the next year. What will you have to do to make it possible to take that leap of faith?
The Power of Possibilities
Never stop dreaming. Even thinking of new possibilities revs up the engine on your Energy Bus and helps you have fun and enjoy the process. Think about your biggest life dreams. Write down a list of three of your most exciting dreams/goals. What are some simple steps you can take this year to get you closer to your dreams? When will you put them into action?
Remember, do not try to drive anyone else's bus, and do not compare your ride to anyone else's journey. Everyone has their own path. Drive your bus with the best of what you have inside, focus on your ride, and enjoy it!
Best Practices
Team Fun
When it comes to team fun, the object is to get people talking and feeling the energy. When an activity is focused on getting different people to share their points of view, dreams, and fears, then everyone learns something and the process enriches everyone.
Many of the team leaders I've worked with find ways to create fun in their day-to-day work, as well as look for ways to create events and celebrations to say thank you, nice work, or just provide time together to enjoy each other. Some teams will have meals together, coordinate a picnic, or volunteer their time. Other ways to have fun on a team can include: making personalized T-shirts, giving each other small gifts, or making sure that everyone on the team knows that having fun while being together is an important and valued component of team culture.
Organization Fun
Creating fun in an organization is very similar to the way you approach fun for a team. Usually an organization is just a larger team, so you need to be a bit more organized in your approach. The first step to having fun in an organization is making sure it is a part of the culture from the top down. Leaders need to be clear that they value fun as a part of the mission of the organization and to communicate that to their people.
Organizations create an atmosphere of fun when they encourage people to have positive relationships and enjoy the people they work with. Doing great work and accomplishing organizational objectives is fun, and the people who do the work need to know they can enjoy themselves in the process.
Who's on the Bus?
One organization set up Energy Stations during their busiest month of the year. The stations had healthy snacks and other small treats for the employees. During the month, different people received recognition through a program called “Who's on the Bus?” awards. The people who were recognized had their picture and a write-up on a poster at the Energy Stations. The other employees were encouraged to write personal notes on the posters and mention positive things about that employee. Everyone had a lot of fun celebrating the successes and writing personal notes to encourage the people being recognized.
Thank you for utilizing this field guide. I hope it encouraged you and energized you and your team. Keep driving with positive energy, faith, and belief. I am sending tons of positive energy your way and am looking forward to hearing your Energy Bus story. You can share it with me at [email protected]. Wherever you are in your journey, the best is yet to come.