Jun
9
Work Versus Play, come on man!
June 9, 2010 | 2 Comments
There’s an insidious tendency to pretend that “work” and “play” are categories which shouldn’t mix and that if you add “play” to work or “work” to play, you might run into problems. In fact, the way things often pan out today, you DO run into problems.
Work is the stuff you’re obligated to do to make a living and maybe give something back to society. It’s supposed to be of primary importance in your life, at least for the middle class. But it’s also has a tendency slip into the activities you perform begrudgingly. Often, people treat their work sort of like how a high schooler might treat homework: to get a good grade you HAVE to do it, but you won’t be engaged or happy about it.
Play is the stuff you can’t wait to do once you get out of work. But the funny thing is, this stuff, in relation to work, takes on a inconsequential, airy, and arbitrary quality. You could get drinks with friends or watch tv or ride your bike…there’s a tendency to reduce leisure time to something that is simply a relief and release from the day-to-day grind.
So you get the worst of both worlds: work, which has the superficial appearance of being important, but is actually a huge drag versus “play” which has the superficial appearance of being unimportant, but is what you really look forward to as a release from work.
And when you mix these two things, you might either make work feel less important or play feel like more of a drag.
Of course there are many exceptions and many people either love their jobs or love what they do during their leisure time. But I still think this is a general tendency that has unfortunate consequences for how we enjoy our lives.
Wait, isn’t this a Bicycling Blog??? Ok, yeah you’re right! And so with that in mind: I started riding my bicycle simply because I loved the feel of pedaling, and exploring the city in a new way. It wasn’t hard for me to start cycling and I quickly became addicted to this activity. It fits seamlessly into my daily routine, since I use it as a commuting tool.
However, as I start taking cycling more seriously, it has the potential to become more of a drag, especially when considering training for racing. This means I need to adhere to a more rigorous structure and regimen. I need to monitor my heart rate and keep a log for cycling. It’s starting to sound like WORK! Bicycling, which once represented freedom to me, quickly becomes a Discipline.
Now, I think it’s important to elevate your hobbies beyond that of mere hobbies. Hobbies can be come serious interests and lifelong pursuits, and can certainly replace work as the primary thing in your life or enrich work immeasurably.
So I say screw the idea that work is boring and unfulfilling and screw the idea that a leisure activity is unimportant and arbitrary. There’s a balance involved in doing something you love and taking it seriously that goes beyond ideas like “work” and “play.” I think reaching that balance is the key, so you still can access the freedom and excitement when you had when you first started the activity, and that this initial energy will actually serve to encourage (rather than hinder) more proactive development and the implementation of structure and discipline into the activity.
