“Play is the highest form of research.”
Albert Einstein
How are you going to have fun today?
Not if—how? That’s a question I find myself grappling with. I’m internally driven to succeed and grow, and I thrive on pushing myself, checking off tasks, and achieving goals. And yet, there’s this underlying truth I keep bumping into: Play isn’t just a reward for hard work—it’s a necessary part of doing great work. So, why do we struggle so much to permit ourselves to play? Why do we push so hard without ever letting ourselves truly unwind?
I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m guilty of ignoring the importance of rest and play. The task list never ends. But here’s what I’m learning—restoration and creativity come in moments of play, not during relentless work. Upon reflection, I realize I have done some of the best work in my career while training for an Ironman, not because I was grinding the work out physically, but because I was giving my mind a break. That space allowed me to be more focused and productive when it was time to get back to work.
So, here’s the self-reflection question: Will you “play” today? Can you take time to do something that challenges your body or frees your mind? Getting caught up in the grind is so darn easy, but it’s not sustainable. Even God rested!
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 ESV
Play is an enabler of great work, not a waste. It’s a fundamental piece of excellence. What if we stopped seeing play as a reward and started seeing it as a requirement? Free your mind, and the rest will follow. (Yes, I am showing my age by bringing in an En Vogue song lyric…) Sometimes, it’s in the moments when we stop pushing that the most creative, breakthrough ideas surface.
If you’re struggling with this, I recommend reading “Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less” by Alex Pang. It has helped me to understand that rest and play are not just luxuries—they’re necessary components of a successful life.
So, I’ll ask again: How are you going to have fun today? After all, if you “free your mind, the rest will follow.”
