Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

September 26, 2007

The Game of Life

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 5:21 am

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I've been thinking . . .

how we make things work.

We finish a day’s work exhausted, burnt out, bone tired. If we were asked to keep going, it would be a stretch — nor a healthy thing. Do we go home to rest? Do we take a nap, rejuvenate and refuel? No, most of us don’t. An hour or two later, you’ll find us out dancing, playing ball, or at the gym lifting weights.

Many of the sports and activities that we do for fun require more physical and mental energy than what we need to invest to get through a work day. Yet, they don’t wear us out nearly as much, and in some cases, they pick us back up.

How is that? It’s no surprise that it has to do with how we think about work.

Years ago, Charles A. Coonradt tested his idea by turning work tasks into measurable self-competing contests — games that could be won. Folks were asked to weigh the paper they filed every day. Within 3 weeks, a department that had overdue filing for 3 years was ahead and found itself with 3 hours extra each day. The people in the department asked for more work — new work — that they could measure that way. [He called his book, The Game of Work.]

elevators-going-up-a-wall

Sometimes I use this technique to get myself to conquer tasks I’m not fond of doing. Today I’m wondering what life would be like if I took the same approach to everything I do?

Have you thought about that? What problem would be easier if you thought of it as one more level, challenge, quest, in the game of life?

Liz's Signature




Filed under Idea Bank, Outside the Box, Successful Blog |




C'mon. Let's talk!

14 Comments to “The Game of Life”

  1. September 26th, 2007 at 6:30 am
    Karin H. said

    Good morning Liz

    I love projects. They start with an idea, a possible solutions for a situation, a new way of doing things, another way to help (me or someone else) to establish a goal, a goal on its own.

    From idea it turns into a plan, schedule with start and finish and result. Ending a project with the expected (or even more than expected) result gives a great feeling and the question: can I have more of those, please, ’cause this is great!

    I turn almost everything into a project now, even bookkeeping ;-)

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specailly in business)

  2. September 26th, 2007 at 6:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    A project is almost a board game is you look at it that way. Move around and do the tasks it taks to get to the objective. Then throw up your hands to say, “I win!” YEA!!!

  3. September 26th, 2007 at 6:34 am
    Karin H. said

    Yeap, always one step forward on the board.

    Karin H.

  4. September 26th, 2007 at 9:55 am
    ME Strauss said

    Yea,that’s what makes thing fun!

  5. September 26th, 2007 at 10:40 am
    James said

    I think it is stress that makes work work (or at least not fun). Making a game of it takes the stress out.
    I am going to try and make more things that I have to do into some type of game. Another great post!

  6. September 26th, 2007 at 11:03 am
    Kelly McCausey said

    I remember working in the office at an insurance company and my co-workers and I were often offered short term competitions for special privileges. An extra long lunch, a half day off, etc. It worked! We’d bust out behinds to win that extra free time.

    As an entrepreneur, I rarely feel like I’m working LOL! But when I do feel bogged down I look for ways to lighten up my mood. I’ll have to set out a challenge for myself next time and reward myself with something fun.

  7. September 26th, 2007 at 11:26 am
    Rick Cockrum said

    Maybe work should be the eighth word you’re not allowed to say on tv. It has so much baggage that anyone in there right mind would run away if the word came up in conversation. :)

    Games, on the other hand…

  8. September 26th, 2007 at 11:26 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi James,
    I think I agree with you. When I sit back and identify my stress I’m a lot better off. Then I can set it aside and relax into the job. :)

  9. September 26th, 2007 at 11:27 am
    ME Strauss said

    HI Rick!
    I’d say work is a four-letter word, but so is play. . . . :)

    So I’ll join your list campaign. :)

  10. September 26th, 2007 at 11:52 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Kelly!
    Some days I miss the people I used to see every day. Most days I don’t miss the stress that they caused. I can always find people to meet. :)

    I know what you mean!!! :)

  11. September 26th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
    Sara said

    Liz,

    I can’t tell you how often you post something just when I need to hear it. I am working on a very mind-numbing project this week. I generally enjoy my 9 to 5 work, but this one project is killer (read:boring!) and the deadline is Friday.

    After I finished this post I started thinking of it in terms of a contest with myself. And I decided that I’m going to win that contest by noon tomorrow so I can move back to the fun stuff.

    Thanks again for being there just when I needed you. =)

    Sara

  12. September 26th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sara!
    Yea!! It’s great to think that I made your life a little more fun! You go for it, Sara! :)

  13. September 26th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
    gp said

    good way to reframe the “ugh” stuff that we dont want to do…. A bit like a clever chess game
    Oh the games people play… git ‘r done

    gp in montana

  14. September 26th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
    ME Strauss said

    That’s right, GP, git’r done! :)

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

C'mon Let's Talk!