Mike is the founder of Playful Humans, a community designed to help the burned-out and bored get re-energized and engaged with life. His mission is to help adults rediscover the power of play and avoid a midlife crisis. He is also a Game Show Host, Public Speaker, and Podcaster and has been a radio DJ, web designer, and karaoke host. In addition to the Playful Humans Podcast, Mike hosts the How to Succeed Podcast for sales and business leaders.

How to Be a More Playful Human

πŸ‘‰ Don’t push yourself too hard, thinking you’ll find something worthwhile if you get there fast enough. If you can’t find happiness where you are, you’re not going to find it in the next place.

πŸ‘‰β€If you work more than sixty hours for more than six weeks in a row, you start producing results less than if you had just worked forty hours the whole time.”

πŸ‘‰ People that play more and smile more are more attractive. Attractive people are more likely to be hired, dated, and accepted by their peers. They also tend to perform better on the job and receive higher praise from superiors. If you merely adopt a more optimistic outlook, it will have a ripple effect throughout your life.

πŸ‘‰ β€œWhen you’re doing something you enjoy, you do it better and work a lot harder at it.”

πŸ‘‰ β€œIt may take some time for your mind to shift into a playful frame of mind naturally, so I recommend playing first by attempting to force it a bit to get into that play state.”

πŸ‘‰ With computers serving as machines, it’s time to finally end this vicious cycle of working hard or nothing. Humans are no longer required to perform the routine labor that can now be performed by machines; Instead, humans should now take on the role of making novel connections, shaping human ideals, and fostering human creativity.

πŸ‘‰ You don’t have to be the “class clown” kind or someone like “Steve Martin,” “Robin Williams,” or “Jim Carey” to have a playful personality. You can also find folks who enjoy puzzles, board games, solo nature exploration, water sports like snorkeling, and facilitating fun activities for others to participate in.

Things to do to stay playful

  • Create more than you consume, “watching Netflix and endless scrolling on social media; you’re not gonna have a great day.”
  • Manage your expectations, “if you can find a way to lower your desires, you will get more than you expect.”
  • Use the “Hell Yes or No” framework. The more you can say no to things and people that wear you down and drain your energy, the more time you have to say “hell yes” to the things that bring you joy and excite you, and the more happiness you’ll feel long term.