The first step towards having fun in any job or
activity is just to make the decision to actually find the fun.
When I first went to work with Paul (now the Collegewise
general manager) at his Princeton Review office in 1994, he was not just the
fearless leader, but also the fun leader. He’d come into our offices and shoot
us with a Nerf rocket gun. He’d plan
outings when the office would go play video games, or see the new (usually
terrible) comedy that had just hit the theaters. There was a sense of play and camaraderie in
the office that made the fact that we were working so hard (often in the
evenings and on weekends) worth it.
After a particularly successful but draining week for all of
us at Collegewise this week, Casey Photoshopped Paul’s face on this photo and
emailed it to all of us. Two counselors
have already made it their home screens.
And one printed it up in poster size and put it on her office wall.
Ten minutes later, Paul called me and said, “Seriously,
how lucky are we to get to work with these people?” I agree.
Whether you’re a counselor, a teacher, a club
president or anyone who participates in something that matters to you, take the
time to find the fun. If nobody else is
having fun, lead by example and inject some levity and silliness every now
and then. And if you can’t find any
opportunities for enjoyment, maybe it’s time to consider doing something else?
By the way, finding the fun works in the college
admissions process, too.