Why Having Fun Is Good For Business

As we launch into another year, we may be thinking about the goals we’re intending to smash in 2022. What do we want our business to look like? What revenue goals are we going to achieve? What targets are we going to hit? What things are we going to get done?

As Virtual Assistants, we spend a vast majority of our time living in the left hand side of our brains - generally, the work we tend to do is more analytical and administrative. And as a result, this tends to be how we set our goals too. I know this is definitely true for me! 

Which of course is all well and good, but in my opinion, that’s only half of the puzzle. Achieving *things* is great, but I truly believe that to have a well rounded business, you need to bring the more creative right hand side of our brains into (literal!) play. 

So I’m writing this with an invitation today: what if you set a 2022 goal involving creativity and fun? A goal that, and I know this may sound controversial, maybe doesn’t have anything to do with your business? 

Examples of what this could practically look like is taking up a new hobby, reading more, or any activity that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Those are to name but a few! These goals, as with all goals, need to be absolutely personal. 

Nothing coming to mind? Take a page of paper (I know you have at least one to hand!), and write down the word “FUN” at the top. What does fun mean to you? What would having more fun look like in practicality? Does the word evoke any memories or feelings for you? Write down anything and everything that comes to mind, and fall down some rabbitholes. Use the amazing answers that have come from your brain to set a goal that answers the questions that may have come up. 

As business owners, we are in charge of our own destinies when it comes to how our businesses feel. We’ve all worked in roles that have a culture or feel that doesn’t quite align with the values that we hold dear. Focusing on fun and creativity in your personal life allows you to bring more of those joyful feelings into your business, often without realising. 

A huge reason why I’m an advocate of bringing in more right hand brain activities is due to a lot of these activities taking place offline. As much as we all love the internet and what it can offer, more time offline is essential for topping up our creative wells. Offline time means that we are less likely to succumb to the comparison and difficult feelings that social media can bring up for so many of us. It gives us a chance to both be present and stay in line with our values. And who doesn’t want something fun to look forward to doing at the end of a difficult working day? It gives us an opportunity to just refresh our brains a little, adding a nice full stop to the day. 

And making more time for these fun and creative pursuits has a really profound effect on our business. When we have time to focus outside our business, we can become more experimental and productive. It helps us see solutions rather than problems. It encourages us to be more resilient in a way that’s authentic and realistic. Having things outside of work to concentrate on also gives us space away from our work. We all know how difficult our work/life balance can be, right? 

So instead of setting goals that just focus on our business and achievements within that, I hope this encourages you to step outside of the box and think about some goals you can set in 2022 that nourish you from the inside out and allow you to try out something a bit different. 

You can find me @thehandmadeva on Instagram, where I share lots of practical tips and tricks for creating a joyful business on your own terms.