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Have We Forgotten How to Play?

29 minutes ago
3 min read

If you've been with me awhile, you know that when we evaluate our year, one of my "buckets" is play.


Since my birthday was last week, I am working on my yearly assessment now in preparation of our retreat in December. I was stuck recently on play.


Do I play?


What do I do just for the joy of it? I think I'm fairly boring. I go for walks, but I have to walk my dog, and I like to move my body for my health; I read A LOT. But reading is also sometimes for self-improvement. I think I can count my love of fun fantasy fiction as play. I enjoy cooking, but that's also a necessity to feed myself.


You see, as we grow older, play seems to become more difficult. We seem to aim to make everything have a purpose. An agenda. Instead of journal prompts this week, I ask you to explore play. Make a list of all the things that you could do to play.


Not things you're trying to accomplish.

Not things that improve you.

Not things that make you more marketable.

Not things you can check off a list.

Things that make you think:


“Oh, I like this.”


If I think about what makes me smile it will surprise NONE of you when I say my daily dose of play is . . . loudly playing Taylor Swift and dancing around in my car.


I also asked my friend ChatGPT for a list of adult play, but add to it and expand upon it. I want to hear how you choose to find joy this week.


  • dancing in your kitchen

  • wandering around a bookstore with no book in mind

  • taking photographs of weird things you notice

  • coloring or doodling

  • playing cards

  • gardening without trying to create the world's best garden

  • baking something unnecessarily complicated

  • listening to an entire album

  • going to a museum

  • learning to play an instrument badly

  • taking your dog somewhere new just because

  • swimming

  • kayaking

  • putting together a puzzle

  • thrift-store wandering

  • trying a new recipe

  • singing loudly in the car

  • going to a comedy show

  • making something with your hands

  • sitting outside with a cup of coffee and absolutely nowhere to be

  • playing pickleball terribly

  • dancing terribly

  • attempting something you're not particularly good at


Retreat Announcement:


OK . . . here it is!! I have created the landing page and registration form for the Draft Your 2027 with Pencil and Purpose retreat. And yes, it's FREE for members! With that said, I would like to grow the group, so please feel free to share with anyone who could benefit. HERE is the link. Please register if you are able to attend. You will not receive a bill, but feel free to agree to the terms, etc.

 

 

Office Hours: There are no more office hours in September. This is for Editor's Circle Coaching Members as well as any Guided Revision Coaching Members who would like to touch base between scheduled coaching appointments. HERE is the link to schedule a 30-minute slot

 

The Weekly Draft: happens every Sunday evening at 7pm at this link. Come prepared to reflect on the past week and draft the upcoming week. It is meant to be a heads down, co-planning time, with me being available to share strategies and/or answer questions. Join me HERE




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