fun

My teenage kids make me laugh almost every day we’re together.

One day my creative, somewhat sarcastic younger child made up a game:

“In college, I majored in _____ and minored in _____.”

In his example, he would use curiously paired examples like “majored in forensics accounting and minored in interpretive dance.”

We had fun at dinner that night playing the “majored in, minored in” game.

It quickly became ridiculous trying to find combinations that didn’t seem to have any connection at face value.

And I started to wonder how I could use it to help people in my “Less Stress, More Fun” community. 

Here are examples:

• “I majored in strongly worded email counter attacks and minored in giving people the benefit of the doubt…sometimes.”
• “I majored in snapping at my partner and minored in awkward, insincere apologies.”
• “I majored in saying yes to keep the peace and minored in seething with resentment.”
• “I majored in quitting fitness and nutrition goals and minored in feeling uncomfortable in my body.”

Look at areas where you are performing beautifully in your life.

Consider areas of your life that are not meeting expectations.

How are you showing up with all the idiosyncrasies of being human?

To make this game more practical,

1. Pick something that you do that’s the focus of your behavior, what you and other people see you doing. That’s your major, the focus of your “studies.”
2. Pick a consequence that seems to match the habit. That’s your minor, the part of your “studies” that is visible but takes a backseat to your major. 

It can be a playful way to see where you’re focusing your attention.

Do you see anything that you’d like to change?

If you could start over, what would you major and minor in for the studious game of life?

(By the way, you really can start anew again today.)

• “I am going to major in calling my grandmother every 2 weeks and minor in telling her my favorite memories of time spent together.”
• “I am going to major in having impeccable work-life boundaries and minor in not checking email on weekends.”
• “I am going to major in speaking respectfully to my spouse and minor in journaling about their best qualities each week.”

How about a few that focus on fun:

• “I am going to major in amazing weekend trips and minor in booking lodging 4 months in advance.”
• “I am going to major in being known as a fun coworker and minor in deliberately showing up to shape organizational culture.”

And, of course, you can be completely ridiculous:

• “I majored in doodling sea turtles and minored in mime.”
• “I majored in participating in Le Croix flavor focus groups and minored in carbonation science.”
• “I majored in being a soft talker and minored in synchronized winking.”

This is a ridiculous article.

And…

I hope it makes you chuckle while also making you think.

This life is yours to play.

What will you major in?

And what minors are a perfect compliment or foil?
P.S. I invite you to fall in love with the “Less Stress, More Fun” podcast. Subscribe today! Each week’s episodes offer smart, fun ideas to reduce stress and boost your sense of playfulness.