Near the end of the year, I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions. I just couldn’t get motivated to make any, so I said, “What the heck, I am not making any resolutions this year.” To be honest, my past resolutions were based on what I thought I “should” do, not what I really wanted to do. The usual ones were to exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, etc. Nothing was about having fun.
That’s when I got the idea to choose a theme for the year. Or I should say a theme chose me. I was thinking about what kind of year I wanted.
That is when I realized I wanted more fun in all areas of my life. I started looking at how I have been living in my relationships, spirituality, health, family, self, and business. That’s when I discovered that I was not having enough fun. I was “working” and “trying” hard and enjoying life less.
How To Make Life More Fun
I was not sure. I discovered three phases of incorporating a new lifestyle.
In phase one, I began looking at my thoughts—how and what I was thinking about in each area of my life. It was an enlightening task. I was amazed at how much of my thinking was about pushing to get something accomplished. I realized I was not having as much fun as I thought.
That led to phase two, the “what I don’t want” phase. I made a list of everything I did not want, until I had nothing left to write. It was liberating to put everything I did not want down on paper. I could finally see it all in one place.
Now I was ready for phase three, the “what do I want” phase. I took each statement from my “what I do not want” list and asked myself, “So, what do I want?” I actually wrote down my answer and that is when I began to get some clarity. I was turning what I did not want into clarity about what I did like.
To give you an example, my routine at the gym included riding a stationary bike and lifting weights. I was not working out consistently and did not know why.
When I really looked at my gym activity I said to myself “no wonder I have to talk myself into going to the gym” I was working hard, putting out a lot of effort and not having much fun.
Riding a stationary bike is boring, as is sitting inside and going nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that exercise is good for my mental and physical health so I wanted to find a fun solution to this situation.
I asked myself, “So, what would make the gym more fun?” How about a yoga class, a salsa class, water aerobics, or swimming? All of those sounded like fun to me, and I noticed that I started feeling more excited and joyful about going to the gym.
As I write the statements about what I want, I discover a new world of possibilities. Now, I am looking at each area of my life and adding more fun whenever possible. I have also let go of some activities that I no longer value, and that has been freeing, too.
As I write this article I realize that making my life more fun is a journey not a destination. Each step takes me closer to my authentic self.
An update: It is March and I continue to ask myself “What do I want?” The answers amaze me and I am living my life with more ease and so much more fun. Consciously adding fun to life is so rewarding. I have more passion and joy these days.
I encourage you to look at your life and see where you can add more fun. It really is worth the effort.
Nancy Dadami is an Inner Peace Strategist, Medicine Painting Mentor, and Feng Shui Specialist. She helps empower leaders, visionaries, creatives, and entrepreneurs called to growth, learning, service, and freedom to thrive by living the best version of themselves, creating a life of abundance, self-awareness, purpose, and inner peace. Learn more here Linktr.ee/nancydadami
