Your 168

CHAPTER 9THE IMPORTANCE OF FUN

As we think about pursuing life balance, it makes sense that we allocate our time to significant life buckets such as work, family, and health—and, for many of us, to spirituality and making a difference as well. When we think about fun, however, we might question whether that's really a big enough priority to warrant having its own bucket. We may be tempted to sandwich fun into health (exercise can be fun, right?). Or we might think that it belongs in the bucket for family, friends, and community because that's probably who we are having fun with most of the time.

If that's your immediate reaction to having a fun bucket, think again. Fun should be viewed as far more than a distraction or as something that's nice to do when you have time—which you may never have. The fact is it is impossible for most of us to live a values-based life without also including fun. It really is that much of a priority.

The pursuit of life balance means that you're not overly concentrated in any one area. As you allocate your 168 into various buckets, you need a variety of activities and experiences, and that includes fun. The old saying that warns against having all work and no play contains a lot of truth. There's even science behind it. Pleasant experiences such as playing, laughing, singing, and dancing trigger the release of chemicals produced in your brain, including endorphins that make you feel good. The adage that laughter is the best medicine gets an endorsement ...