Productivity and play

"What do you have to let go of to have more fun?" a friend recently asked my circle of YaYa friends. What a good question, I thought.

Each of us responded in slightly different fashion. But one of the themes running through those responses seemed to be that of responsibility. Each of us is a strong woman, used to grabbing hold and getting things done. We've been used to being productive and perhaps even over-functioning. Wonder Woman costumes aren't foreign to us! We're always so darned responsible.

Then in another group of which I'm part, a similar topic arose; and it was clear that most of us were highly geared to productivity and responsibility. We had learned as children, "Get your work done first. Then if there's time and energy, you can play. Fun comes after work." Old tapes can be difficult to let go.

Do you resonate with any of this?

So, is it OK to just let things be and play first? Can we drop our scheduled to-do list for the day and run off with a friend or our partner and just do something fun? Might that feed our souls and spirits more than crossing items off our to-do list? Might that bring more joy into our lives—and thus, into the world?

My friend asked a good question, and I plan to reflect more on it—and see what changes I might make in how I live. What about you?