by Joanne Rock
I came across some interesting research notes this past summer.
Now, don’t yawn yet.
I know the word “research” comes packed with stuffy connotations. But the reading I’ve been doing lately has
affected my thoughts in so many ways and on so many different levels that I
can’t help but share.
Quick background – I participated in a study group at the university
where I used to teach. We read a book
called Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. It’s pop science in the Gladwell
tradition—lots of vignettes and examples that make the science fast paced and
reader-friendly. I thought it would be
helpful to read the book for two reasons, to learn how to better motivate
students and to learn how to better motivate myself.
But I got a whole lot more than that.
Sure, the stuff on autonomous motivation was helpful. And I liked the idea of getting away from the
rewards/punishments idea (extrinsic motivation) since it doesn’t always work
for me. But then I found a section on
creativity, turning our work into play whenever possible, and finding ways to
stay engaged with our work. Does that
sound fun to you? Sure did to me. I’d like to make my job feel more like
play.
Citing noted psychology professor Mihayl Csikszentmihalyi,
“once we realize that the boundaries
between work and play are artificial, we
can take matters in hand and begin the difficult task of making life more
livable.” For inspiration on how to
play, the same source (I won’t spell his name twice!) suggests we look at the
children around us, who are engaged with the “work” of childhood, exploring
their environment and learning boundaries through play. At some point, we forget how to do this
effectively. We shut down some of that
natural curiosity in an effort to earn grades, earn adult approval, and become
socialized. But we lose something in the
process, something we all need to recover.
I’m still figuring out how to best incorporate more play
into my work and leisure life. I think the answers are as unique as we all
are. Still, maybe we could learn from
each other today. I think the easier
task is to identify more ways to play.
What activities do you miss that you used to really enjoy as a kid? Maybe the lesson there is—don’t wait for your
kids to ask you to color or play on the swing. You can still pursue those activities now, or pursue them in a way that
appeals to you as you’ve aged. For
instance, bungee jumping might be your new swing. Watercolor lessons might be your new brand of
coloring. A few revamped strategies might bring you a new
level of fulfillment and engagement, a new energy that will spill over into the rest
of your life. 
Because once we can identify more ways to play in our
leisure time, I think it will follow that we’ll start to see ways to play at
work. After all, more play in general
will make us more creative, so the answers are there and just waiting to be
discovered by our new and improved thinking skills. Can you make your work more social by
starting an online group interested in the same facets of the job as you? Can you subscribe to a publication in a
career that complements yours to see what kinds of researching they’re doing in
a related field? Can you make a movie
about your work? Mentor someone? Find a mentor? Take a professional
detour? The goals don’t have to immediate. You just have to mine your field for the
things that inspired you to go in that direction in the first place.
Just think how much fun you could be having….
