FUN ON PURPOSE

So here’s the deal—I was challenged to do more for myself. Which sounds great, right? But when you’re in the weeds of work, life, and that never-ending pile of laundry that may or may not be reproducing, “more for myself” felt like adding one more thing to my To-Do list.

But I wanted to give it a go. So I made a super simple accountability trick: a one-page sheet with twelve empty boxes—one for each month—and stuck it on the wall where I had to see it. For me, that was in my office. The goal? Each month had to include at least one fun thing. Something out of my routine. Something that made me feel like a person, not a productivity robot.

Some months, I filled that box with 4-5 things:

A glass-blowing class where I literally played with fire.
A sunny afternoon on my deck—reading, napping, absolutely crushing the art of doing nothing.
A family theatre night (drama onstage for once).
An early bird dance party that ended by 9pm.
A talk on a topic I was actually interested in (instead of my usual TED Talk: “What’s For Dinner?”).
An hour in the park, with no phone enjoying the sun on my face.

Other months? Just one or two fun things. But that’s the thing—I wasn’t falling behind. I was no further ahead or behind that I had been before I embarked on this challenge. But I was happier. More content. Less “just getting through” and more “hey, this is kind of great.”

The shift? I realized life doesn’t magically become more fun on its own. You have to schedule the sparkle. And honestly, even planning the fun became part of the fun. (Planning Type A’s, I see you. We’re thriving.)

If you want to try this Little Shift:

📄 Print out a blank 12-box grid (or draw one—this isn’t Pinterest).

🖊 Stick it somewhere visible.

🎉 Add one “fun on purpose” thing per month. Solo or social. Tiny or epic.

💃 Repeat.


Turns out, joy doesn’t take up as much time as we think—but it makes everything else feel lighter.