Starting and running your own business is supposed to be fun. This is your chance to call the shots and live your dream. You finally get to spend all your time doing something you are passionate about. Yet many of us get bogged down in mundane tasks and exhausted by all there is to do. We need to not only find ways to keep our passion alive, but also to just plain have fun.
One of the easiest ways to have fun is to take a cartoon break every day. Pick some favorite sites and open your browser to one of them when you start up your computer for the day. My default window is my son's online cartoon, Mr. Snodger's Neighborhood. He lists lots of links to other cartoon sites on the web.
You can also have fun by the way you decorate and arrange your office. This is your space. It doesn't need to look like cubicle city. Certainly you need some professional space if you need to meet customers at your place of business, but your personal office is yours to let your hair down in. Make it your special place by adding touches that make you feel comfortable and reflect the joyous side of your life. Walking into an office that radiates what you value and love is a wonderful way to spark your creative juices and keep you hanging in there when the going gets tough.
There is also nothing wrong with taking an afternoon off and going to a movie, getting a massage, or maybe just simply visiting a bookstore. Something that gets you away from looking at the same problems in the same way. That little breath of fresh air can often be just what is needed to carry you through a challenging problem and into a new perspective on your business. I often use little outings as rewards when I have undertaken a particularly onerous task that has been hard to complete.
An even better long term solution is to find ways to have fun at work. There are some delightful books on the topic of making your work environment a fun place to be all the time. That is not only good for your attitude, but also makes for happy and healthy employees. Laughter can boost cardiovascular fitness by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, according to leading heart disease researchers. It also stimulates blood flow and reduces stress hormones, as well as strengthening the immune system.
Having fun at work also makes a major difference in productivity. In one study, Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver experienced a 25 percent decrease in downtime and a 60 percent increase in job satisfaction when they started showing humorous training films and using humor in their in-service workshops.
So, have a little fun and watch the results bring a smile to your financial statements as well as your working life.
