KISS frontman Paul Stanley tweeted out a simple life lesson this week: “My Tour Philosophy: Kick Back before you Kick Butt. Salt Lake City…Your turn is TONIGHT.”
You may never find yourself in front of thousands of screaming fans, but we can all learn a little something from Paul Stanley. You’ll get more done when you’ve had time to rest, rejuvenate, and have a little fun.
If your world revolves around an overflowing in-box and never-ending household chores, it’s time to take a break. When life is 100% aggravation and 0% fun, the wheels will come off the bus!
Let me tell you about a couple who taught me how to make play part of the mix of any successful project.
When I caught up with David and Jeremy, I asked about their weekend plans. Jeremy shot back, “The last weekend of the month always means one thing: Power cleaning the house!”
I immediately groaned. “Sorry to hear that!”
David quickly elbowed Jeremy. “You didn’t tell her the rest of the story. You know, the part where you always get to pick where we go to breakfast!”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “How did we get from power cleaning baseboards and the kitchen to brunch? Now I’m interested!”
“OK, David—I left out the most important part!” Jeremy laughed. “Our deal is to set our work alarm one Saturday out of the month, get up early, split the house, and get down to business. Then we take ourselves out to a fabulous breakfast. We end up with a sparkling house, incredible meal, and the whole day ahead of us. Win, win, win!”
That day, I learned the power of questioning your approach. It’s surprising how easy it can be to fall into a rut of constant striving and efforting. But you can get out of that ditch by deciding to use play to increase your productivity.
Rather than waiting for someone else, Be the Somebody who brings the fun. You know the prototype: The co-workers who keeps their sense of humor during the hardest negotiations. The family member or neighbor who can crack a joke and make a long day of yard clean-up a little more pleasant. Or someone like Jeremy who has endless ideas about how to reward yourself once you get to the finish line!
Here are a few examples of how you can exchange efforting for ease. Take a fun, light-hearted attitude and rely on soft skills to power your results. For instance:
* Be the leader who uses creativity to split up a big project into bite-size tasks. Struggle disappears as everyone works in their strength.
* Be the Parent-Teacher Association member who decides to be adaptable and make smart choices. Skip the circular conversation with the person who wants to right fight.
* Be the co-worker who uses empathy. Reduce stress by giving others time back at the end of a long week.
Life doesn’t have to be difficult or a series of endless challenges to be meaningful. Be the person who shows others that you can accomplish just as much through play as you do through pushing.
In the September series, Be the Somebody, we’re talking about how you can use soft skills to step into inspiring roles. You don’t have to wait for the perfect, anonymous Somebody to show up and improve your life. Instead, decide you’re the Somebody. You’re the Somebody who has a big vision, is a leader, and has the dedication to get projects over the finish line.
Here’s a recap of what we’ve learned and the soft skills that will get you there:
Postponing until others step up is automatically disempowering. Because if they never show up, you’re stuck! So, the next time you look at a situation and hear yourself muttering, “Somebody needs to do this,” take that as a cue. Your instincts may be trying to tell you that the perfect “Somebody” may be you! Take charge as the creative, wise CEO of your life—a Soul Boss—and decide you’re the Somebody to get it done.