Counselor's Corner

 Spring is nature's ways of saying, "Let's party!"  

- Robin Williams  

Enough of the serious stuff. This month is about making your life a party! Can being more playful really increase your success?  

Absolutely!  One of the secrets to overcoming performance anxiety is to let go, be flexible, and have fun.  Translation - be more playful.  The key is to take yourself less seriously.  For all you perfectionist, I know this can be hard.  But if you have worked with me, you know how freeing it can be to give yourself permission to enjoy a task, do the best you can and if you make a mistake, learn from it and improve next time.  The January newsletter emphasized how many of the most successful people in the world failed their way to success.  "Every master was once a disaster."   

My theme this year has been to lighten up and have more fun!  I am taking swing dance classes, practicing my stand up comedy skills (ok, alone and in the mirror, but I will go public soon), and take improv acting classes.  These are all fun activities that take me outside my comfort zone and provide outlets for my multifaceted-self to grow, experiment and expand. 

Personal growth doesn't have to be hard, painful or difficult.  What areas of life would you like to lighten up?  A Harvard study on adult development discovered that reviving the ability to play is a secret to healthy aging. Bonus!  Playfulness not only increases your success at work by activating creativity, flow states and confidence, but you actually age better and more gracefully when you revive a playful attitude. 

Whatever you do, do NOT expect perfection.  Perfectionistic tendencies keep you anxious, closed down, stressed and mentally blocked.  Just because are an adult doesn't mean you have to get it right the first time.   

Enjoy the journey, have fun along the way.  It's not just about reaching the goal.  Excessive focus on the goal diminishes your ability to excel in the moment.       

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