Stop Chasing Fun

"Life is short, and spending time on things that don't matter or make you a better person are not worth doing." - No one in the history of the planet, ever.

Well if the above quote was ever uttered by anyone, I would argue that they grossly misunderstand the meaning of life. Chasing fun and enjoyment on the other hand would also be a mistaken view on our approach. Here is why:

Everything is fun.

I love LEGO, and if the subheading to this paragraph might sound 'LEGO-ish' or 'LEGOnese' is because it is. What this Danish multimillion dollar (or Danish Krone for the purists) company grasps is that even adults have the need for play or fun. You might think that the previous statement is an obvious one, but most adults forget it. We all grow old, but we choose to grow up. Seeing life as a big adventure allows us to take the pressure off taking on projects.

By saying this I don't mean we should all be little kids again and behave in a childish way, but rather that we should pursue the hidden childlike gems in our everyday life. Going on a trip to Seattle Coffee? Make it a race with a friend, and when you get there try something new and crazy from the menu that you've never tried before! Go Nuts.

Chasing makes you tired.

I love a good Ted Talk. And the one on taking many 'mini-retirements' ranks very high on my all-time favorite list (here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHNDyinZSQ&t=1s) The reason for that is that it inspired me to pursue a life of having fun while we are living, instead of chasing some distant rest-goal in the future.

We save all year and work our butts off to go away for ten days in December, and by the time we are actually switched off, our time is up and we need to get back to our offices. That's called chasing fun, and it needs to end.

Don't wait, integrate.

Okay, cheesy rhymes aside, I found that integrating fun in our lives rather than chasing it, ultimately produces a happier life. Finland is the happiest country in the world, but their metric for this award was based more on a satisfaction index than a 'laugh at your friend's joke'-measurement. What this means is that they find joy (happiness) in the small things, for example being genuinely happy when your flat-white turns out amazing.

Integrating fun in our daily lives is not such an impossible feat, and I urge you to pursue this. Even more, if a mini retirement to explore Mount Fuji or to do the Camino de Santiago sounds fun to you, then pursue that too. The most important thing, I've found, however is that our journey to those mountains should be just as enjoyable than the experience itself, and it's all up to us!

Go have fun.

TF