New Year's Resolution: More Play Time

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How can I invite play or playfulness into my work today?
George Leonard, a notable American Sensei (teacher) of Aikido speaks about the Primacy of Play (Leonard, 1999) in work, life, love, leadership, learning… in all our activities.  Yet becoming an adult often means a chiseling away of play time in the name of “more serious” pursuits.  And by the time we enter the workforce we have forgotten how to play.  However when I look at the landscape of leadership that results in successful, innovative businesses I see that play is present.  The design of the work space itself creates an invitation for play and creativity.   IDEO, the innovative Palo Alto design firm, comes to mind.  Here the work environment and the leadership mindset invite a natural sense of play to achieve powerful, innovative results for work teams and the company.
So play with these questions:

  • Where and how do I play?
  • How can I invite play or playfulness into my work today?
  • What do I notice when I make space for play?

(Leonard, G. 1999.  The Way of Aikido.  New York: Penguin Group)