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Which do you think is more important to manifesting the things you want in your life and business?   Your emotional state … or the amount of work you do?

Notice I didn’t say one is important and the other isn’t. I asked which do you think is more important. This isn’t a rhetorical question. Go ahead and choose an answer.

A tougher question. If we looked at the way your typical day goes, what would it tell us? Would we see you more concerned with your physical and emotional well-being … or more focused on getting things done?

Consider this advice from a recent Abraham-Hicks daily email message … which are great, by the way and free for the asking at abraham-hicks.com.

“Reduce your workload by 30% and increase your fun load by 30% and you will increase your revenues by 100%. And you will increase your productivity by 10,000%. (If there could be such a percentage.) More fun, less struggle – more results on all fronts.”

That sounds great doesn’t it? It appeals to something inside us that just knows that’s good advice. And yet, it’s a radical notion that runs counter to just about everything we learn about how to get what we want and “succeed” in life and business.

From early childhood, we were told by our family and the dominant institutions in our culture that you have to work hard and burn the midnight oil if you want to get ahead. Right?

Well, what if that’s not actually true? What if that’s actually counter-productive and even damaging if doggedly pursued as a way of life. I’m not suggesting that work is bad, per se. Hardly. Working at something you love is good for the soul.

I’m suggesting that grinding it out … working more and more and harder and harder in order to prevail over your gargantuan to-do list … all the stuff you “ought “ to do … is both an act of futility and a prescription for misery.

Good advice? I certainly hope so, because then maybe I’ll listen to it myself!

Confession time. I’m an overachiever by nature, driven to make good things happen and I’m a perfectionist. So, things have to be just right. That translates to the tendency to burn a whole lot of midnight oil and push, push, push if I’m not mindful.

It’s ironic, but two of my greatest strengths … the strong desire to make things happen and the need to do things right … become my greatest weaknesses when taken to an extreme.

I can overdo the working harder / longer thing in a heartbeat, leaving precious little room for fun. Does this describe you, too, by any chance? It describes a lot of people, all driving themselves nuts in a quest to do more.

So … work … good. Taking inspired action in pursuit of your goals and dreams … good. Obsession over how much you get done … bad.

Success in life and at work can be measured two ways. On a joy meter or a timecard. We suggest the joy meter. After all, nobody says on her deathbed she wishes she had just managed to squeeze in a few more late nights at the office … a little more time to get everything perfect for that Thanksgiving dinner back in 1996 … a few more tasks.

Good stuff, but here’s the really cool part.   Fun! “Increase your fun load by 30%.”  

It’s not only okay to have more fun, it’s essential. It’ll actually increase your results, your productivity, your income.

Get this in your head. You’re not only allowed to have fun. I’m practically ordering you to do it.

HAVE MORE FUN! … and watch all the good things in life start to flow your way with ease.

Love,
Denise

Meet Denise: Denise Hedges is a Business Development Coach and Speaker Coach for small business owners who want to be more comfortable, confident, and successful with their sales and marketing efforts. She specializes in helping them use speaking as a way to dramatically improve their results!

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