Don’t Forget to Be Playful

Do you incorporate the spirit of "play" into your work? How about in your daily life? In the past three years, so many people’s life styles have changed, and I wonder if some of us have left that "playful" spirit behind somewhere.

A few days ago, I found a picture of a Christmas party at my former workplace in Japan.

Everyone had some kind of costume on, or at least dressed up for the occasion.

It was a picture of people enjoying the moment and the occasion, different from their usual mode of doing business.

On the other hand, I was also looking at photos from the office, and I laughed a little at the difference.

I can’t show you the faces of everyone except mine due to privacy, but they all have very nice smiles on their faces :)

I thought it must be because they were enjoying the "moment" and were able to "flip the switch" from a more “serious” work-mode.

My former workplace was a company that had many events.

Not just parties, but also charity activities.

There were also opportunities for family members of employees to visit the workplace.

The Japanese company I was communicating with at the time visited the office twice on event days, and I explained half-jokingly that we are actually working!

I gave them a bit of a strained explanation, because as part of a charity activity, we were using the hallway of the building to play putting golf, and on the other day, a costumed character was wandering around the area for the employees' families, lol.

There was also a corporate culture of enjoying the moment and switching on and off, which I believe led to increased efficiency in everyday work, reforms, etc.

I feel that the changes in the past few years have challenged the very nature of the organizations itself.

How can we keep our "playful" spirit? And how do we move forward together with the changes in the organizations?

I think this is the overall question that is being asked of each and every one of us right now.

I also feel that perhaps we are now at the point of resetting.

How about your workplace?

Have you forgotten the "playful" spirit in your daily life?

I myself will continue to face each day as it comes, but I will not forget to keep a "playful" spirit in my daily life!

It is Golden Week in Japan from this coming weekend.

I know many of you are busy this week preparing for the vacation.

Please take care of your health at this time!

I wish everyone a week with as many smiles as possible!