Climbing the 12 foot ladder, my heart racing to a beat of competition fueled by pride, I knew I was going to have to follow through with this dare. No self-respecting 16 year old would turn down an opportunity to jump from an Olympic diving platform earning the bragging rights of accomplishment. This was no ordinary diving platform. The 1968 Olympics had been held at this complex in Mexico City where my high school choir was being housed for the International Music Festival. It was 1974.

Photo credit @afar.com

Twelve feet in the air looking down at the water I distinctly remember fear gripping my insides. All the what ifs flooded my thoughts and I froze on the edge of the platform. What if my bathing suit strap broke? What if I hit my head? What if I threw up from fear? All legitimate concerns. There was no judge below waiting to evaluate my performance. What did I have to lose? I heard a voice from below shout my name: “Lisa! Come on! It’s so fun!”

The invitation to have fun is one I respond to; I’ve climbed trees, fences, diving platforms, and mountains because of the call to have fun.

Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash

I’ve ridden a tandem bike with my husband around Lake Tahoe because it would be fun. We traveled 12,000 miles in 52 days circumventing the United States in our VW Westfalia with our two sons because it sounded fun.

Fun does not have to be tied to frivolous, spontaneous, impetuous behavior. Although it sometimes is, like my diving platform experience. I did successfully jump without losing my lunch on the platform or my bathing suit or consciousness. It was fun! And I have a great story to tell my sons and grandchildren. Trying new things, having an adventurous spirit may seem childish to some but I respond with a counter argument: having an adventurous spirit, one who is willing to try new things, keeps you young both mentally and physically.

When it comes to experimenting with habits, careers, and creativity, what keeps us from applying a fun loving spirit? That’s a no-brainer. Fear of failure keeps us from approaching change in a playful way. Somewhere along the way we often lose a sense of playfulness with new ideas, new ways of doing things, or exploring new directions because we attribute the idea of success versus failure to the idea. This either or mentality is also called black or white thinking. Seeing an action as either being a success or being a failure takes away the open-ended concept of simply trying something out to see if its fun.

Is it possible to approach learning a new skill or changing an old habit or starting a business with a playful open mindset? You bet it is! How to have that open, growth mindset has been the focus of Simon Sinek’s new book, The Infinite Game.

Quote: Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game

Image credit @simonsaysinspire on Instagram

Where in your life can you focus a shift of mindset from success or failure to an open, playful, experimental mindset?

Action step: pick one area that feels somewhat safe to experiment with a new way of doing or behaving and be playful. Perhaps it’s baking cookies with little people. Or putting on dance music to clean the house. Maybe you’re ready to go big and commit to training for a triathlon next year. Or it could be you’re ready to make a shift in career and you want to approach it with a lighthearted attitude. Whatever it is, what will it take for you to be ready to play?