“Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly!” 

This is a great and memorable quote of our friend Nancy’s Mom. (Thanks Nancy for sharing this and the link to Tim Wu’s article!) 

It is surely not what our society is telling us these days. In fact, I make a living in the coaching world, one dedicated to helping people meet or exceed goals, be their absolute best, achieve, etc. 

This is not a blog about giving up on reaching higher and achieving. 

Tim Wu recently wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times entitled " In Praise of Mediocrity ", that just nails this topic. We need things in our life that are just enjoyable. Just because the very act of doing them is pleasurable, not as part of an important life goal. 

Recently Bill and I have been doing jigsaw puzzles. Nothing could be more a statement of doing something just because! Spend hours on it only to take it all apart after and put it back in the box. 

As the fall gets under way and we all try to re-establish patterns that may have gone by the wayside over the summer, let’s consider adding in some hobbies or activities that don’t have to produce a darn thing! 

What have you enjoyed in the past that has become less fun? 

I’m sure you have heard people say this too, something that used to be a fun hobby became a vocation and then became not fun. 

What things have you done for pleasure in the past that now feel like work? 

What tweak could you make to one of your activities that could bring the fun back? 

Taking a class can help you commit to fun. Knowing that a certain night of the week is dedicated to an activity helps. Knowing you paid to have fun that night helps. Hanging out with other people who enjoy the same hobby or activity helps. 

Bill and I have been learning East Coast Swing dancing. Trust me, we will never be performers! (pause here to laugh hysterically) It is just fun. We can now go out dancing and enjoy the experience. 

What’s your next fun thing to be trying for the first time or doing again? 

Until next time, 

Marilyn

Marilyn Orr, MA, CEC, PCC is an Executive and Leadership Coach with   Capacity Building Coaching , holding her Professional Certified Coach designation with the International Coach Federation.

Marilyn provides professional coaching for executive and business leaders, mentor coaching for coaches, and leadership development support in the form of coaching skills training and soft-skills development. Reach out to Marilyn for more information.

Marilyn is author of everyday resiliency workbook “How Absorbent Are Your Shocks?”, available on   Amazon . Subscribe to “ Marilyn’s Musings ” twice monthly blogposts for more leadership and professional development content.