The dominant cultural theory about fun is that it should be earned – that it should only exist after work is completed. The question you often hear is, “Do we have time for fun?” But the real question is “Can we afford not to have time for it?”

We spend more of each day at work than at any other single activity. The people with whom we work often see more of us than do our families. Some of us only see our children on the weekend or asleep at night as we hover over their beds.

If so much of our lives is taken up by work — and we are allowed to have fun only after work is completed — when, where, and how should fun be part of our lives? Finding this balance works best when we bring our whole selves to work. When we realize that work isn’t about what we do but that it’s about who we are being when we’re doing our work.

“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which, he simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”                                                        — L.P. Jacks, Unitarian Minister

We can each become masters in the art of living by including fun in our work. Not belly laughs necessarily, but joy, pleasure, and enjoyment. When we blend work with fun, we find joy in unexpected places, make our days progress spontaneously, and improve the quality of our lives.

Fun at work isn’t simply a nice to have, it’s a need to have. Business works best when fun and work are successfully integrated. Companies that integrate fun with work vividly illustrate that the fun/work fusion:

• Stimulates creativity and innovation

• Fosters commitment and ownership amongst all members of the organization

• Creates and secures the morale of their employees

• Impacts productivity positively

• Counters the effects of stress

• Acts as a vaccination for burnout

• Becomes the glue for social relationships

• Mends conflicts and heals hurts

• Stimulates renewal and activity

• Reduces absenteeism

• Creates stronger, deeper, longer-lasting customer relationships