“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”    ― Alan Watts

Is “play” the secret to long-term success and happiness?

Work can feel like strong medicine. There is no way around doing what needs to get done, but our ideas and approach to it are malleable. Perhaps “play” is the gateway to the impossible, realizing that our careers don’t have to feel like work… but a never-ending, enjoyable, puzzle to solve.

 I have found that this path demands a radical restructuring of how we think about our days and our ways. It demands a considerable shift in culture and mindset. 

But there are other benefits to the idea of work-as-play. Play helps us learn to learn faster… which is essential to thriving in our fast-paced world. We must learn to live thousands of lives in our lifetime –– and not of quiet desperation, but rather of raucous innovation.

Play helps us discover, think critically, problem-solve, understand failure… and build processes. 

One of my favorite process stories is from a Realvolve customer of ours who used systems to get out of the busy work, do MORE transactions… and lose 50lbs in the process! Click to see her story.

Have you incorporated play into your work? I’d love to hear about it.

Till next week… play on!

Dave Crumby

CEO | Firepoint & Realvolve