Infusing Play into Mundane Tasks

‘It is a happy talent to know how to play.’ ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I write about loving every moment and loving what you do, people often ask, “What about when you have to do something you don’t like?”

You can’t always enjoy what you’re doing, right?

Actually, you can. You just have to remember what it’s like to be a child.

Sure, there are things we have to do every day that we might think are boring: household chores, errands, routine tasks at work, being in a meeting that’s makes you want to pound your head on the table. But those are only boring because we’ve chosen to make them boring.

Let’s take my 6-year-old daughter Noelle as an example. She had to go to the dentist, which is a pretty routine thing for most people. We took the train and then walked a few blocks. In the train, she sang, found things fun to see out the window, played games with me. As we walked, she talked about how the building the dentist is in might possibly reach the blue stuff in the sky, and wanted to bet me that it actually did (10 hugs if I won, $1 if she won). The elevator ride to the 18th floor was like a roller coaster ride to her.

Everything she does becomes a game, an opportunity for wonder and exploration, or at the very least an opportunity to sing a song. She’s never bored. Why is that?

Because she doesn’t see anything as boring. Everything is new, and there’s always a game you can play.

We can do that too. Every chore can be turned into play. Every walk to the store can be infused with beginner’s mind, so that we see our surroundings afresh, ripe for exploration. Every boring work task can be turned into a challenge, a game.

My 8-year-old son Seth runs everywhere, jumps everywhere. We’re walking along the street and he’s a werewolf, a wizard, a superhero. A living room becomes a place to make a fort, styrofoam becomes a toy, and if there’s nothing to play with, he’s pacing around making up stories in his head. How can you ever be bored when you see life like this?

Though I don’t want to tell you how to play, by request, here are a few quick examples:

Sing as you do choresUse dishwashing as a form of mindfulness practiceMake a game of computer tasks — see how fast you can get your inbox to empty (set a timer)Give yourself points for checking off your tasks, and see how many points you can get each daySkip instead of walkImagine you are in a movie when you walk into a meetingGive yourself challengesMake bets with friends when it comes to doing things you don’t normally like doingPlay music, dance aroundDo a victory dance after you do anything goodAnnoy your co-workers by calling them JeevesOnly text people in SpanishPlay games to learn thingsWhen you send an email, make fax noisesWhen you have to clean something, give a play-by-play of your actions with a Howard Cossell voiceImagine that your co-workers are robots, or vampiresTalk to your computer, and give it a namePretend you’ve never been anywhere before, and that everywhere is newAnytime you do something, ask, “What would Dwight Schrute Do?” (WWDSD?)Try to rhyme your emails or tweets

OK, those weren’t all great, but I’m sure you could think of better ones once you get into the right mindset.

We’ve had the play pounded out of us, from years of schooling and work. Bring the play back, by watching a kid and seeing how amazing life is for them.

(This post was inspired by Suraj Shah’s post Last day living.)

‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.’ ~George Bernard Shaw

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