Learn to Have Fun

What do you think when seeing the title of this article?

I bet many of you wonder why I would ever choose to post an article on such topic. Who doesn’t know how to have fun?

The reason for me to write this article is because most of the dedicated and hardworking people forget to enjoy themselves from time to time. They have extremely high drives in succeeding career-wise and great work ethics; their disciplines in many aspects make your jaw drop; unfortunately, they undermine the power of the leisure time. They would find way to schedule work (or study) in, and trim off the time to have fun.

Why they do so? It’s simply because ‘having fun’ is not on their list of priorities. Their autopilot algorithm failed to schedule in ‘fun time’ for them. In addition, they like to look for a purpose for everything they do. I will expand on that later.

As some of you have already known, I used to be that person. At present, I’m working on making a change and learn to have fun. I’ve listed 15 goals to accomplish over the course of 2017. Amongst all, ‘learn to have fun’ is one.

Another reason for me to post this article is because work-life imbalance is the majority of us.

Learning to have fun is important because we are living a life but not living a work or school. Living a life means do things that make you happy, spend time with others and your loved one, follow your passions, and live in the moments.

Also, our brains are designed to store memories and create imaginations, not meant to memorize complexity. Such different way to use the brain differentiates the normal from the excellent, or the excellent from the extraordinary. In order to store memories and create imagination, you need to start to live the life and have fun. Otherwise, your life will always be the ‘same old’.

Scheduling too much time for work or school without sparing any leisure time to relax, eventually you get burned out. When this happens, your productivity decline vertically. I’ve been there before, that’s why I suggest you not to go down that path.

What do people regret the most in their deathbed? None ever regretted not working or studying too much, but they regret missing the fun they would have had. When people are in their deathbed, they reflect their lives, cherish their memories, and appreciate their loved ones. If you don’t have any fun memories or didn’t fully live your life, what do you have to reflect upon? You certainly don’t want to be that person.

So how to have fun? It boils down to the very basic: have fun the way you are supposed to live your life.

Here are some ideas for you.

1. Live in the moment.

Planning is good: it keeps our life in check. However, worrying too much about what you haven’t done isn’t a good way to live a life. Admit or not, many of us tend to run their thought through things they haven’t done yet or worry about things that might happen soon, while they are walking in the park and all they should really enjoy the fresh air, singing birds, and time of freedom.

Live in the present, don’t go too ahead of the time. We are not there yet.

2. Try new things

This is really critical. In order to live with passions, you need introduce variety into your regular schedule. Here I’m not saying to break your routines but to suggest changing things up once in a while.

For instant, instead of doing planks to train your abdominals every time your workout, try to schedule a morning run or lunchtime swim. Eating the same thing lunch everyday may bore you out of your mind, so why not try that new restaurant down on the 6th avenue?

Without introducing new events, your brain won’t get regular stimulus so it won’t store great memories or generate imaginations. Thus, try new things on a regular basis: you will be amazed by how creative you could become so that you will be more productive at work or school.

3. Do Things You Like

What do you like to do? What are your passions?

We all have different preferences. Some people like arts, sports; while others like dancing, playing instruments. Whatever it is, pick something and make time for it.

I’m sure you heard this over and over again: ‘I like playing guitar and it makes me happy, but…”

The word BUT: a word that starts a ‘valid’ excuse. If you want to change your life, get ride of that ‘but’ word. If you love it, make 10 min and do it now. Keep finding that perfect excuse won’t help you but would keep you in that ‘same old’ loop.

4. Out of Your shell

One way to spice up your life is to try things you never dare to try before. Last year on November 6th, I started my first salsa-dancing lesson with Mambo Production. It was fun. The other venture was the voice training I did: it helped improve my voice projection and reduce my accent.

In fact, dancing is never a thing in my brain. It’s outside of my comfort zone. As I’m growing older, I become interested in exploring things I never tried before. After complete all 6 entry-level lessons, I loved it and went out dancing almost every Friday night at Ballroom County. I found dancing not only relax your mind or let yourself loose but also a venue where you can train to be more socially confident. Try something you’ve never dreamed of doing, and you will be amazed by how much you would be improved afterwards.

This year, I’m planning to explore these ventures: rock climbing, theatre, and salsa dancing level 2. 2017 will be a great year made of exciting events!

5. Get Rid of The WHY

I’m a person who likes to do things for reasons. To live a life and be happy, happiness is good enough of a reason.

Being purposeful is good because it shows you are rational. However it can backfire on you if you over overthink it. I’ve been there too. Take hang out with people in a potluck for example. For a busy professional, they might think: I have work on hand and I don’t know any of these folks, why should I be there? Even for myself, I was planning to go dancing on a Friday night but have readings to do for work, I asked myself: I dance with random people and I don’t know them, so why do I bother to event go?

The reason is simple: because social events like that would let you loose and make you happy. We are not isolated island but belong to social specie. Get rid of the why and just live a life.

6. Happy Thoughts

In order to have fun, you need to generate happy thoughts from the bottom of your heart. Nothing is more harmful to yourself than frowning while trying to be part of a group of happy people salsa-dancing with one another on a Friday night.

Some find it’s easy to fake happiness while others don’t. Faking emotions would eventually consume you. Instead of faking it, why not just be truly happy?

Bring it all together:

1. Live in the moment.

2. Try new things

3. Do things you like

4. Out of your shell

5. Get rid of the WHY

6. Happy Thoughts

Now you have them all. Start practicing today!

How do you have fun beside your 9 to 5 job? I enjoy learning from you as much as enjoying writing this article for you.