Play with(out) Purpose
Productivity vs Poetry
As much as I wax lyrical about operating with purpose, even I don’t always do it. Sometimes I find myself doing things for the sake of it, because inaction feels lazy.
Got a spare hour between calls – I could read a book, or I could tweak my website.
Just closed a business deal – I could celebrate, or I could start chasing the next one.
Sunday and I don’t have plans – I could go to the beach, or I could clean my fridge.
Some people approach me for mentoring because they’re struggling to take action towards their goals. Others come to me for support not because they struggle to do stuff, quite the opposite; they feel stuck or directionless in spite of getting a lot done.
It’s common for people to burn out through sheer overwork. It’s also common for people to burn out working regular hours, because they can’t switch off or relax1; especially if what’s occupying their thoughts isn’t aligned with their goals or values.
Productivity isn’t inherently good for you. Depending on your goals and context, it can be more beneficial to pause and reflect; perhaps even to be wilfully unproductive.
All that to say, operating with purpose doesn’t mean every action must have an output.
One approach to avoiding mindless action is playfulness; particularly if, like me, you’re inclined to take life too seriously and are easily frustrated by a lack of progress. As adults, we tend not to play because it’s considered a waste of time… But is it really?
Play can be silly, but it doesn’t have to be; it can be a social activity, or it can be solo. Forms of play I find relaxing include: learning favourite songs on my guitar, hiking in the hills or through the bush, and writing poetry. Below I’ve combined two of those.
I’m unlikely to become a rock star, an explorer or a poet laureate, but it doesn’t matter. None of those activities helps me pay the bills or grow my business, but that’s fine. I’m confident that without them, I’d be much more stressed and much less happy.
Simply put – to play without purpose is to play with purpose and be more purposeful.
Hopefully that makes more sense to you than it does to me! I’ll leave you with a poem.
What Skye, oh my, to ease the eye: Blue glassy lochs in grassy bogs, Where Highland cows watch passers-by Walk spritely dogs and giddy sprogs Up hills and down; no reason why. What prettier a place to die, Far from the box, not being a cog; Where ravens plot and seagulls cry Above the rocks, warning their flocks, Invoking their wee young to fly. What life to live in the meantime; Filled to the top with time to stop, And sights and sounds that mystify: Red rutting stags, faeries, kind hags And eerie eagles soaring high.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/01/burnout-not-just-about-working-too-much