Enjoy!: 101 Ways to Add Fun to Your Work Every Day

256 Pages·2008·1.04 MB·English

by  Gini Graham Scott

Enjoy!:
101 Little Ways to Add
Fun to Your Work
Every Day
Gini Graham Scott
AMACOM
e n j o y !
This page intentionally left blank
101
Little Ways to
Add FUN to Your WORK
Every Day
e n j o y !
Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.
American Management Association
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Scott,GiniGraham.
Enjoy!:101waystoaddfuntoyourworkeveryday/GiniGrahamScott.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-0985-5
ISBN-10:0-8144-0985-7
1.Jobsatisfaction. 2.Qualityofworklife. I.Title.
HF5549.5.J63S38 2008
650.1—dc22
2008015405
(cid:1)2008GiniGrahamScott,Ph.D.
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Contents
Introduction vii
PartI. Don’tWorry,BeHappy 1
1. ThePrinciplesofHappiness 3
2. SixToolstoHelpYouBeEvenHappier 13
3. WhatMakesPeopleHappy? 37
PartII. BreakDowntheBarrierstoEnjoyment 51
4. AssessWhereYouAreNow 53
5. SilenceYourInnerCriticalVoice 69
6. RediscoverYourInnerChild 81
7. EliminateOtherEnjoymentBlocks 99
PartIII. 101WaystoEnjoyYourselfMoreatWork 109
8. AddMoreFuntotheWorkplace 111
9. MakeWorkMoreFunforEveryone 129
10. OrganizeEvents,Celebrations,andContests 149
11. TakeYourFunOutsideofWork 171
v
vi CONTENTS
PartIV. ExpandYourFunHorizons 177
12. ExploreNewPossibilities 179
13. MakeTravelTimeMoreInterestingandEnjoyable 187
14. StartanENJOY!GrouptoIncreaseYourFunwithOthers 209
PartV. PuttingItAllTogether 215
15. TheEnjoymentAssessmentQuiz 217
Notes 223
SelectedBibliography 227
Index 233
Introduction
ENJOY!101LittleWaystoAddFuntoYourWorkEveryDayoffersan
antidote to today’s fast-paced competitive society, where people
work too hard, particularly in the United States. Compared to
otherindustrializedcountries,weworklongerhourseachweek,
take less vacation time, and have a higher level of work-related
stress. Even kids in school are put on the fast track to success
early on, leading to a high level of stress. And today, an ever-
growingmountainofbusinesssuccessandprofessional/personal
development books offers tools and techniques to help readers
achieveeven more.
I have become especially aware of the problem, since I spe-
cializeinimprovingbusinessrelationships,professionalandper-
sonaldevelopment, andpopular culture.Besidesrealizing thatI
was working too hard myself, I talked to dozens of people who
described their barriers to enjoyment and expressed the hope of
findingwaystoenjoyworkmore.
ENJOY! describes how to identify such barriers, reduce the
time spent on less enjoyable activities, enjoy whatever you are
doing more, and put more enjoyable activities into your work
life.Besidesexamplesfromworkshopsandinterviewswithindi-
vii
viii INTRODUCTION
vidualsandexperts,suchaspsychologistsandrecreationprofes-
sionals,itfeaturesgamesIhavedevelopedforthisbook.Alltold,
there are more than 101 different ways you can up your fun
quotient to your work or workplace, while succeeding at what-
everyouwanttodo.
The book covers these main topics and includes a variety of
games,exercises,andtipstohelpyoualongtheway.Itisdivided
intofourParts,whichincludethefollowingchapters:
Part I. Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Chapter 1. The Principles of Happiness
As happiness researchers are discovering, having a happy, posi-
tive outlook can help make anything you do more enjoyable.
This chapter features the results of happiness research and
shows how you can mobilize those ideas to enjoy your work
more.
Chapter 2. Six Tools to Help You Be Even Happier
Whatifyouhaveanegativeattitudecausingyoustressandten-
sion? Or what if you feel angry, frustrated, bored, or in a rut
due to events or circumstances? This chapter features tools and
techniques to turn that negative attitude around and help you
stayinthepresenttoenjoywhateveryouaredoingmore.
Chapter 3. What Makes People Happy?
After years of research and hundreds of research studies, psy-
chologistsandothersstudyingwhatbringssatisfactionandhap-
piness to people have come up with findings about what makes
people happy. This chapter lists sixty-four simple secrets to in-
creasingyourhappinessinworkandeverydaylife.
INTRODUCTION ix
Part II. Breaking Down the Barriers to Enjoyment
Chapter 4. Assessing Where You Are
A first step to increasing your enjoyment is discovering where
you are now and checking in periodically to see how you have
progressed. This chapter provides techniques for examining the
level of enjoyment you are experiencing now and tracking that
onadailyor weeklybasis.
Chapter 5. Silencing Your Inner Critical Voice
For many people, the big barrier to fully enjoying what you are
doingistheinnercriticalvoice,whichhasmessageslike:‘‘work
harder,’’ ‘‘don’t waste time,’’ ‘‘do what everyone else is doing,’’
and ‘‘do what your parents enjoy.’’ So you may spend a lot of
timedoingwhatyoudon’twanttodoanddon’tneedtodo.This
chapter features techniques to help you quiet and quell that
innercritic.
Chapter 6. Rediscover Your Inner Child
Rediscovering your inner kid can help you both enjoy more and
becomemorecreative asyourediscovertheplayfulness,sponta-
neity, enthusiasm, and curiosity of kids that are often lost for
adultsurgedtoexercisereason,control,andconform.Thischap-
ter focuses ways to bring out these inner kid qualities to bring
morevitalityintoyourworkandlife.
Chapter 7. Eliminating Other Enjoyment Blocks
You may find still other blocks to enjoyment, because of your
personalexperiences,suchasfeelingahighlevelofstress,being
out of touch with your feelings, or being apt to worry or think
about other things, so you are not fully present to enjoy what