So, I’ve been messing around with this whole “business or pleasure” thing, and let me tell you, it’s a freakin’ gray zone. I mean, where do you draw the line, right?
I started by, like, really thinking about my day. What feels like work? What feels like fun? It’s not always obvious. Sometimes answering emails feels like a chore, other times it feels kinda satisfying to clear out my inbox. It is very confusing at the beginning!
Digging into My Day
I grabbed a notebook—yeah, a real paper one—and just started jotting down everything I did. I used to write down every step and my feeling.
- Woke up, checked my phone (pleasure? business? BOTH?).
- Made coffee (definitely pleasure).
- Replied to some work messages (ugh, business, but also felt good to get it done).
- Had a call with a client (business, but it was a good conversation, so… gray area?).
- Took a break to walk my dog (pure pleasure!).
And so on. I did this for, like, a whole week. The details step that I did, which I wrote down. It was kinda tedious, honestly, but it started to show me some patterns.
Finding the Patterns (and the Fuzziness)
What I realized is that it’s not always about the activity itself, but my mindset going into it. Like, if I’m dreading something, it feels like “business,” even if it’s something that could be fun. But if I’m feeling energized and engaged, even “work” stuff can feel… well, not exactly like pleasure, but definitely not torture.
And then there’s the stuff that’s just straight-up in the middle. Like, networking events. Are those “business”? Yeah, technically. But are they also a chance to meet cool people and maybe have a few drinks? Also yeah. So… gray zone!
What I am taking from it.
I haven’t, like, cracked the code or anything. I mean I have a little bit of an idea now.
But what I am doing is trying to be more mindful about how I approach things. Instead of just labeling something “work” or “play,” I’m asking myself:
- How am I feeling about this right now?
- Can I find a way to make this more enjoyable?
- If it’s truly “business,” can I at least get it done efficiently so I can move on to something I do enjoy?
It’s a work in progress, for sure. It takes time to build it up!
But hey, at least I’m paying attention now, instead of just sleepwalking through my day. And that, I think, is a good start.
