I give you my full permission to start BINGING on FUN!

That’s right, forget about your obligations, work, your never-ending TO DO list and just PLAY or indulge in a creative interest or hobby for no other reason at all, other than it just feels good!

As adults, one of the main reasons I think we find ourselves overindulging with food, alcohol, or other coping devices (like TV & social media), is that it’s the only pleasure we look forward to at the end of a long hard day at work/school &/or caring for others.

It’s easy to ingest food/alcohol/TV.  But, having fun and engaging in a hobby takes more thought, structure, and time, and that’s why we keep putting it off.  But, you can’t afford to put it off any longer.

For some reason, as adults, we see having fun or exploring a creative interest as an IF/THEN phenomenon.  IF I finish work, my To-Do List, and everyone else is taken care of, THEN, I’ll have some time to to do something fun or that I WANT TO do.

But, how is that if/then principle working for you and me?

Because, I haven’t reached the bottom of my To Do list yet.  Some of you might be waiting till your kids are grown, or you’re retired to have fun and do the things you want to do.

But, what IF you don’t make it till retirement, or you get sick or injured….No one says on their death bed, I really wish I had worked more and finished that To-Do List!

We all work too much, busy ourselves with meaningless tasks, spend too much time trying to get ahead in the rat race, and are just way to serious about life.

I found this to be true for me recently, coming off of a couple of years of only working at the gym and on my blog, coaching others, focusing on healthy food choices, and working out.  I sat there thinking to myself, “I used to have so much more fun a couple of years ago, when and why did I stop?  Because this adulting thing sucks!”

I mean the only fun I was having was to watch TV and drink a glass of wine or 3 at the end of a long work week!  BORING plus hungover…

I knew something had to change!

So at the beginning of this year, I started making more time in my schedule for hobbies, play, and having fun with friends.  Through journaling, I wrote down some activities I used to enjoy as a kid, and started to find ways to do those as an adult.  Voila..I’m now taking dance and Improv classes weekly, and even found myself in a vintage hairstyling workshop this past weekend.

Now it’s Your Turn…

How Do I Start Increasing My Fun Factor?

I suggest hand writing your answers to the following questions, instead of just thinking about them, as writing unlocks the creative part of your brain.

Questions to Journal About:

1.    What does having FUN mean to me?  What does it look like?  Feel like?

2.    What activities did I have fun doing as a child?

3.    What type of people do I enjoy connecting with and spending time with?

I knew that I was starting to get my FUN Factor back up to a more acceptable range when Augie, my boyfriend, recently started asking me, “How old are you again?”  My response, “Not as BORING as YOU!” ?

See if by scheduling more fun/play-like activities/experiences or connecting with people you enjoy spending time with takes your mind off comfort foods and coping devices, and makes you feel more fulfilled in your current life and situation…

It’s an experiment, but worth giving a try, right!?  I’d love to hear what you learn from going through this process.

Here’s to taking life LESS SERIOUSLY and having more FUN!

Thanks for Stopping By,

Tommie