Play ‘Die Happy’! Mix productivity with pleasure

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Get stuff done and find your happy. 

I love my numbered rocks. They have gotten me through many a weekend to-do list.

But I also get bored easily, so I like to change things up with different chore games—as you may have noticed. It’s all fun and games around here.
 
So some days, I leave the rocks alone and roll the dice instead. 
 
And as luck would have it, this particular chores game, “Die Happy,” solves another personal challenge for me. 
 
Here’s the deal: I am pretty good at mindlessly procrastinating, puttering or doing things I consider lazy or a waste of time. Stellar, in fact. What I am not so good at: intentional rest, relaxation and recreation.
 
If I am doing those things—activities that recharge me and make me happy—I am also likely beating myself up for not doing something “more productive.” 
 
Like I said, it’s not that I don’t ever chill out or have fun. It’s that I often ruin it with a big old serving of guilt gravy. 
 
With “Die Happy,” I add fun to-dos to my list of chores—and the roll of a die tells me what’s up next for me. If I roll a happy-go-lucky activity, so be it—it’s guilt-free enjoyment for me.
 
How it works
 1. On a piece of notepaper, start a to-do list with the numbers 1 to 6. 

2. For the odd numbers, put household chores you want to get done, i.e., mop the kitchen, dust and vacuum, pay bills. You know the drill—not-so-fun stuff.

3. For the even numbers, put activities that you truly enjoy—things that make you happy. Maybe that’s reading, taking a bath, streaming a favorite show, doodling or whatever (judgment-free zone here).

4. Then, it’s pretty simple. Roll the dice, or in this case, die. 

RYC tip: Google it. Somewhere I have some dice. But there’s something that’s almost always more handy, my phone. I enter “roll a die” and my digital die magically appears—ready to roll.
 
5. Make your way through your list based on your rolls. 
 
What if you roll the same number twice or more? That’s a good question. 
 
I used to just roll again, but lately I’ve added an additional layer of risk to the game. If I roll a number where I’ve already completed the task, I tally up that many squats or crunches and roll again, until I hit a number that needs completing. 
 
I squeeze in a little bodywork to boot. Is this game not brilliant? (That’s what they call a rhetorical question, so just play along and we'll all die happier.) 
 
What I like about this game:

• It adds elements of spontaneity and luck to my day. 
• It helps me balance productivity and pleasure. 
• It reminds me that life is short and to think about what activities truly make me happy. 
• It gives me the mental permission to enjoy myself. Hold the guilt gravy!

Your happy is your happy
When I played this game recently, I put writing on my happy list and exercise as a chore. Working out does actually make me happy—but not until it's over. Before that it’s like any other chore; I have to talk myself into it. 
 
Writing used to be like that for me too. It was work, something I wanted to get done but kind of dreaded at the same time. What would I write? Would it be any good? That changed when I decided to do it for the pure joy of it. I love playing with ideas and words, so that’s all this is. (I wrote more about who inspired that here.) 
 
What’s my point? Your happy is your happy. Maybe exercise is a kick in the yoga pants for you. If so, I applaud and envy you. 
 
Think about what gives you joy, and then just roll with it. 😃

P.S. On this particular day, I ended up with 36 crunches. I couldn't roll a six for the life of me! I just want to take a bath ...