“I Don’t Have Time” And Other Myths About Playing That You’re Totally Done Believing

It’s hard to believe July is almost over. But the play doesn’t need to stop...like...ever.  And we mean it! Last month we chatted you up about the how to balance your hard work with everything else and this time around we’re just going to remind you that you can make time for play and everything else.

This week we’ve got 3 myths about play time that we hope you’ll stop believing ASAP so you can truly enjoy the fun of riding your own wave of balance.

First Up: “I don’t have time”

If you’re reading this, chances are good that you really want to bring play into your life in some way. The myth that “You don’t have time” is just your brain’s way of trying to protect you. It’s totally normal, but it’s also totally not true.

Have you heard of Beyonce? How about Elton John? Warren Buffet? Bill or Melinda Gates? You have the same number of hours in your day as Beyonce and Melinda Gates. And there’s no judgment here...like ever. It just so happens that it’s true. So if you want to play, you can play. You have as much time as anyone else and you get to decide how you want to spend it. Take care of yourself and remember that you decide that you have time.

And Introducing His Ugly Cousin: “I Don’t Have The Cash”

When we tell ourselves that we don’t have the money we’re actually making a decision about the value of the thing we “don’t have the cash for. We’re also making something else a priority, whether we know it or not.  Making this decision and value-judgment conscious can allow us to sort out whether it's true or whether we’ve just auto piloted ourselves to that decision.

The other thing to note about this myth is that a lot of what we can do when we play doesn’t have to be expensive. Sure we might want to buy a bike or invest in surfing lessons at some point but there might very well be fun things to explore that cost very little or nothing at all.

One way to challenge this myth is to sit for a moment and make a list of all of the things you’d like to do for fun and list the prices for each thing on your list. See how many low or no cost things you can think of and then...go for it!

And That Annoying Neighbor: “I’m Being So Lazy Right Now”

Whether you’re relaxing, competing, creating, exploring, or just finding your favorite way to play, WOB has you covered and you can find our line of products here.
Remember when we asked if you’d heard of Beyonce and Bill Gates? Think about that one more time. When we play (or even think about it) our brains might jump on the “You’re lazy” bandwagon really quickly. Yes, you have the same amount of time as Bey and Bill and that’s awesome. To take time to have fun, create, and explore you’re fostering your true self, growing your ability to solve problems, and hitting reset on your work-focused mind. If you’re feeling lazy, just remember that you get to decide how you spend your time and you’re choosing to make time for fun so you can amp up your impact and productivity when you get down to work. That’s one way to stay guilt-free when you play.

The Truth About Play

So, there they are, three “Hell-No” worthy myths about play time. But the truth? The truth is that there’s bound to be times when you really want to play more than you work. For many of us, it’s summer or vacation time that calls us to a fun and free-flowing life, and that’s perfectly fine. The truth about play is the same truth we find in work: It’s a wave and we find our balance not by trying to stop the wave, but by riding it in our own way.

Play All Day… Or At Least Feel Like It

If you’re looking to find more balance in your life you can check out our WOB product line here. Go play and ride your wave in a balanced way!