Can Efficiency + Fun Go Together?

Happy Monday Tribe! How are you? I’ve got a short and sweet episode for you today. Why so quick? Well, because it's Monday, and we’ve got stuff to do. I want to make sure that you can get all of that stuff done, but I also want you to be able to make time for you!

That “you time” is exactly what I'm going to chat with you about today. This episode is super simple and short, but I’ve got some powerful stuff to tell you that could change the entire way you look at your life. 

It’s so easy to listen to hours of podcasts or read hundreds of books about self-improvement, but nothing changes. You’re left feeling stuck and frustrated. You’re sitting there thinking, “Hey, why is nothing improving? Why am I still in the same rut?” 

Trust me, I know the feeling. It’s not fun. And it’s all because of one simple problem — lack of integration. Consumption without integration just leads to frustration. After all, consumption is the easy part. It’s integrating what you consume into your daily life that’s more difficult. 

So today, I'm giving you a simple technique that you can integrate right now to actually change your life. You can have more fun. You can make more money, and you can be more efficient and feel more successful. Does that sound like a good plan? Okay, awesome. Let’s dive in!

The Three-Question Challenge 

Before we dive into the technique, I have three questions for you. You have to promise to be honest with yourself when answering these! Whichever answer pops in your head first is the right one here. Okay, my first question is this: Are you 100% percent happy with how efficient you are? Give yourself a “yes” or “no” answer before moving on.

My next question is this: Are you 100% happy with how successful you are? This brings us to the last question, which I think is the most important: Are you 100% happy with how much fun and fulfillment you have in your life and your business? 

Well, how did you do? Were some of your answers “No?” Or maybe you really wanted to say “yes,” but deep down you realized it wasn’t true. That’s okay! I’ve been in the same boat. And guess what? You can do things to turn those answers around!  

A year ago, I realized that I was building my business all wrong. I looked around and thought, “Oh shit, here I am working 24-7. And I don't even have time to do the things that I love to do.” I didn’t have the time to hang out with friends, go out with my husband, or do any of the fun things that make me who I am! 

I had a business, but I couldn’t really even enjoy it because I was so busy all the time. What’s the point of that? That’s right — there isn’t one. The problem was that I was creating my business and then trying to fit my life into it, instead of the other way around.

How much better off would we be if instead, we built our life first and then fit our businesses into that? 

If you can shift your mindset from focusing on your business first to focusing on your life first, you won’t risk losing your passion and fun! Can you still have your business and focus on that? Hell yes! But by putting your life first, you will be able to have the best of both. You will be able to be efficient and have fun at the same time. Isn’t that what we all really want? 

So what does that look like? I decided I was going to build my business around my life, and now I’m going to tell you how! 

What Building My Business Around My Life Looks Like 

Tribe, I know you’ve seen the “gurus” waking up before the crack of dawn, telling you that you need to start every day with a 6AM agenda of intense efficiency. But I’m telling you right now — you don’t need to do that crap to be successful! In fact, that level of intensity usually leads to burnout and dissatisfaction. 

Let me tell you what I do in the mornings when I finally decided to build my life before my business. I do nothing in the morning. And by that, I mean that I like to have a relaxing, chill morning. I don’t start working until 10:00 or 11:00AM because that’s what I like to do. 

Does that mean I’m less successful? Not at all! Think about what success actually means. For most people, it means true happiness, fulfillment, and financial gains. I am able to have that definition of success without making myself miserable because I decided to build my business around the life I wanted. 

You don’t have to grind and be unhappy in order to be successful. I found so much more fulfillment in my life when I started doing the things that make me happy first and then focused on building my business into that lifestyle. I chose to prioritize having fun, and I have been so much better off because of it. 

So my question for you is this: Which one are you building first — your life or your business? Are you actually having fun and playing every single day? Or are you just ignoring the play? Trust me, I know it’s so easy to get caught up in the work. 

But guys — having time for fun and true enjoyment of life is so important. We schedule time to work every day, but when do we ever schedule time for fun? Scheduling fun is such a foreign concept to many people, but doing it is the key to enjoying life.  

Scheduling Fun into Your Life 

When's the last time you had fun? If I asked you right now, “Hey, what do you like to do for fun?” Would you be able to answer that question? Most of the people that I work with can’t! 

I’ve found that many people have gotten so caught in the hustle and grind of “being an adult” because that’s what they think is necessary to get ahead or be successful. But the reality is, when we play, when we laugh, when we dance — that’s when the magic of life actually happens. And that’s the place where we should be running our business and our life from. 

The first thing that I teach anyone I work with in the Impact to Income Academy is to schedule the things that bring you joy. Think about the things that light you up and schedule them into your calendar before anything else. Every single week, those are the things that need to be first on your schedule. 

So whether it is going on walks, playing with your children, dancing in the kitchen, or getting a drink with friends — whatever it is — put it in your calendar like you would schedule a due date in your business.

Then, after the fun, schedule the “you” stuff. What do you do to increase your energy? Is it getting your nails done, working out, or going on a walk? Whatever it is, that goes next after the fun. Now after that, you can finally start scheduling the actual work. 

Sounds weird, right? We’re not used to operating like that. But when we schedule the work first, we’re never going to make time for the fun and the play! You know how it goes. It just doesn’t happen.

Guys, the fun has to be our non-negotiable — number one thing that we schedule. I have so many friends who have multimillion-dollar businesses who schedule their lives that way, and they are so much better off for it! They are still able to have incredibly successful businesses, and burnout doesn’t happen at all. 

On the other hand, many entrepreneurs who are doing “the grind” are getting sick. They are out of alignment. They are experiencing high levels of burnout and aren’t able to make the impact that they’re meant to make in this world because they don’t have the energy. 

I’ve been there too! I’ve gone through waves of scheduling work as the primary thing in my life, and let me tell you — it didn’t end well. It ended in exhaustion and frustration, with me looking at my life and thinking, “what am I doing?” Lately, I have been so much more fulfilled by scheduling time for fun before anything else. 

Enjoying Life Is a Non-Negotiable Priority 

So I challenge you to take some time to reflect and ask yourself some questions today. Ask yourself where you want your life and your business to go. Are you actually having fun and playing every single day? Or are you just grinding and ignoring the fun? 

I want to wake up every day with excitement because I know I am going to be able to enjoy the day and also create the impact I am meant to make in the world. I want to feel energized and invigorated as I create income. I know what I want the future to hold? Do you?

As always, I would love to hear your big takeaways from the episode. What you are doing to add fun to your life? The whole purpose of this podcast is for me to support people and help change their lives. So if this episode has shifted you in any way or lit a spark within you, please screenshot it and share it on your Instagram stories! You can tag me @thejennkennedy. 

I hope this post empowers you to incorporate fun into your life as a non-negotiable priority. After all, what is the point of making all this IMPACT and having a great INCOME if we’re not living the life we dream of and having fun every day? 

I love you guys, and I’ll catch you next time!