That’s what most of the people I work with want. I first saw this in a mentor’s office about 20 +years ago. She had it on a sign behind her desk.
1. Do good.
2. Have fun.
3. Make money.
At the time I was working in a non-profit serving low-income families. So I liked Step 1. Doing good is where we find our motivation, the meaning and impact behind what we do. Doing good for customers. Doing good for my family. Doing good in my community. Doing good for the world.
While I always had a sense of humor, I was also deadly serious. Step 2 for me was not so easy. I’d have fun when no children were abused, when no one went to sleep hungry and there was world peace. I finally learned that being miserable and super serious just inflicted misery on those around me and there was nothing about having fun that impeded doing good. But it turns out, having fun and being happy not only feels good, it creates a better organizational culture and a more productive one as well. So while I still don’t mess around much, I try to find ways to build in productive play in projects. After all, wouldn’t you prefer to have fun?
And then there Step 3. Making money has always mattered to me but it’s never what got me out of bed in the morning, in and of itself. For me, it’s become a way of doing good. In the words of a friend of mine years ago, the money I wasn’t making wasn’t helping anyone. It’s not steps it’s a cycle.
And if you want to know more about some important fun, check out game designer Jane McGonigal’s survival game SuperBetter. And if you have no time for story, check out how she can make your life longer starting at {12:30}
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Creator of the Don’t Await It, Create It ™ framework and co author of the forthcoming Woman Power: Strategies for Female Leaders, Julie Jakopic helps leaders get clear about their vision and develop the strategies and relationships to go from vision to action Connect at: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin.