Fun at work

Fun at work can seem like an oxymoron. How can work be fun? What if I don’t like my job, or my boss is a jerk? Even if you don’t work at Pixar, IDEO, or Google, I believe you can choose to make it fun.

Sure, every minute of every day is not going to be a party. But having fun at work – playing at work is a key ingredient to creating art.

I feel very fortunate to be in the prime of my working life in 2013 as opposed to 1913. The industrialist of 1913 has no place for play in the workplace. Work to him is all about coloring inside of the lines, not making a ruckus, and starting and stoping when the whistle blows.

Not anymore. The opposite of the industrialist mindset is what will help you succeed today. Color outside of the lines. Make a ruckus. Work when your team needs you.

In the picture above is my team. I have the pleasure of working with five of the brightest, hardest working, most creative guys I know. We have a lot of fun at work. If an hour goes by and we haven’t laughed or done something interesting, I would think something is wrong.

This picture is an image of what it looks like to have fun at work. Start by doing…it may feel strange at first – there is a lot of industrialist out there to look down at you – but keep going. Work and fun will be intertwined and you’ll be more creative, more connected, and more successful.