I spent the first 45 years of my adult life working, climbing up the ladder of success and grinding away the days of my life to bring home a paycheck. I decided that I will spend the next 40 years plorking. I think you will want to join me on this endeavor. Most people are unfamiliar with the thought of plorking. Plorking, according to the Urban Dictionary is the combing play and work as opposed to going about each separately. I understand this definition as the ability to have fun while working. Plorking is enjoying what we do and doing it well that we increase our passion to do more of it.
I have taken this concept into my business practice. Over six years ago, I decided that I would get paid to play. Then I had to define what play meant to me and how I would add play into my practice. As I moved through this new age concept of plorking, I learned how to enjoy almost every part of my working life. I haven’t figured out how to plork while doing taxes, however, I still have time to learn.
I assist people to heal and shift away from old belief systems, stories, and wounds that cause them to feel stuck, confused and even lost on how to move forward on life’s path. At times this can feel like work. The concept of plorking required me to consider how I could take my everyday task and make them more enjoyable. I began to focus on the parts I really enjoy. I love what I do, I love meeting, people, I love helping people, and I am on top of the world when I see people step into a new light.
I had to change some of my thinking patterns to integrate plorking into my life. I used to think I always needed to be “doing” something. I recognized part of my self-worth was caught up in how much I accomplished every day. A part of me realized that I was hearing my mom and dad’s voice in my head when they labeled people as lazy. My mental note as a child was to keep busy, keep moving and you wouldn’t be labeled as lazy. This thought led me to a memory of my military career where it was not ok to sit around doing nothing. If a person was caught sitting around, having fun, or daydreaming, they would be ordered to clean a bathroom, closet or pick up trash. I realize, I rarely was given an opportunity to enjoy working ahead so I could relax and enjoy what I was doing.
Work doesn’t have to be a chore or grind. People have to take time to make work fun and to create an opportunity for others to have fun. Most older adults I have experienced have claimed that play is a waste of time. Did you know Albert Einstein, inventor and genius, shared an enlightened thought that everything of value he discovered came to him while he was in a playful mood or having fun. He encouraged people to play and found it useful for solving problems. I have found this is true as well. When I am trying to create a new class or program I can get in my head and over think and over analyze every idea that pops up. When I take a break and play, (paddle boarding) I get these amazing create ideas that wow me and others. Sometimes I wished I brought a notebook with me while I was out on the water so I could remember everything that came to me during plorking.
I have found that as I choose to plork during the day, I feel less drained and worried about how things are going to work out. I feel lighter and I tend to laugh more throughout the day. I am noticing that life really is short, and I want to enjoy the quality of my life while providing taking care of financial needs. Life is meant to be enjoyed every day. Now I spend more of my day doing what I love, loving more of what I do. I ask you to consider plorking with me. How can you add more fun into your work? Let go of grinding, striving, struggling and feeling depleted. Allow yourself to have fun and plork your life away. You will be so glad you did. Let the plorking begin!
