The Power of Play

INTRODUCTION: LET'S PRESS START

There's a sobering reality that we all have to face: we spend a staggering 90,000 hours of our lives at work, according to some estimates.¹ Yet, we're far from content, with dissatisfaction echoing in our cubicles, Zoom calls, and home offices. You and I, the chances are, part of the same majority—the 80% who report feeling disengaged, even despondent, at work. This unhappiness doesn't remain confined within the boundaries of our 9 to 5, it seeps into every corner of our lives.

A 2022 Gallup study provided a stark picture: a mere 21% of employees worldwide feel truly engaged in their work.² This statistic underscores an urgent imperative to rethink not just where work happens, but how. These trends have been on an upward trajectory, and like a merciless tide, the COVID‐19 pandemic swept in, further exposing and accelerating them.

If you're among the fortunate few who feel joyful and engaged at work, consider yourself lucky. But even then, this book will serve as a valuable roadmap to understand why the majority of your colleagues and teammates bear such an oppressive burden when it comes to work. It will provide insights into how we can elevate the work experience, starting with a few simple tweaks.

In today's world, it seems almost universal to assume that work is, by its very nature, a grind—something tedious, daunting, and often, downright dreadful. The paycheck at the end of the month seems like compensation for the daily toll of monotony ...