Interlude: Work, Play, and Fun
Have you heard the mantra, "Work hard, play hard"? I'm not a fan of this mindset. I think it's a recipe for burnout, to say the least.
Instead, I believe in a quote by Simon Sinek: “The goal is not simply to 'work hard, play hard.' The goal is to make our work and our play indistinguishable.”
I think that play and fun are important parts of making work joyful. When I worked at a grocery store in high school, I enjoyed playing Tetris while packing customer'’ groceries. In graduate school, we played Pipette-Tip Box Battleship, Dry Ice Hockey, and Conical Tube Bowling between experiments.
And now, I am very fortunate that my work is also my play.
When I have a project to work on, I don't think, "I have to work on this project." I think, "I get to play with words!"
I don't think, "I have to meet with a client." I think, "I get to help my client figure out how to solve their pain points in their writing."
I don't think, "I have to meet with my students." I think, "I get to bring a group of brilliant people together for rich discussions about topics I'm passionate about."
Sure, I have moments when I find my work challenging, and I need to add some extra fun to my day. And that's what I want to do with this week's newsletter.
Let's take a break from the usual serious stuff. Here are a few things that I hope will add a little fun and joy to your day.
💌 Round-up
👓 Reading
Heart and Brain Comics - The Awkward Yeti
I laugh every time one of these comics shows up in my feed. I love how Nick Seluk creatively depicts the body's organs and how they react to life scenarios. Two of my favorites are Bad Tongue and Exercise Wasteland.
What word is your spelling nemesis?
As a word nerd, I follow the Merriam-Webster Dictionary on Instagram. Recently, they asked their followers what word is their spelling nemesis. I can totally relate to the list. My spelling nemesis is "guarantee." I always second-guess whether the "a" or "u" comes first. I also still find myself saying "pee-oh-plee" whenever I type "people," which is a remnant of my childhood struggle to spell "people" correctly.
What word is your spelling nemesis?
🖥️ Watching
The Meeting to Decide Time Periods
Many authors use the term "bi-weekly" in their writing without realizing that this term can mean either "twice per week" or "twice per month." In this Instagram post, the creator does a funny role-play of the nuances between these words and other words that describe time. I find many of his posts informative and entertaining as he dissects nuances of the English language in these role-play scenarios.
🧰 Tools
I'm listing this game under this category because it's a tool to exercise your brain. Whenever I need a few minutes to reset, I head over to The New York Times to solve the daily puzzle. I typically start with the word "audio". But according to information theory, the best words to start with are either "soare" or "slane".
What word do you start with?
📝 Challenge
Take a moment to think about what parts of your work are the most fun or joyful. Can you add a little more of those things to your days?
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
