Play.

Everything is new and there’s always a game you can play.

Every chore can be turned into play. Every walk to the store can be infused with beginner’s mind, so that we see our surroundings afresh, ripe for exploration. Every boring work task can be turned into a challenge, a game.

Though I don’t want to tell you how to play, by request, here are a few quick examples:

• Sing as you do chores

• Use dishwashing as a form of mindfulness practice

• Make a game of computer tasks — see how fast you can get your inbox to empty (set a timer)

• Give yourself points for checking off your tasks, and see how many points you can get each day

• Skip instead of walk

• Imagine you are in a movie when you walk into a meeting

• Give yourself challenges

• Make bets with friends when it comes to doing things you don’t normally like doing

• Play music, dance around

• Do a victory dance after you do anything good

• Annoy your co-workers by calling them Jeeves

• Only text people in Spanish

• Play games to learn things

• When you send an email, make fax noises

• When you have to clean something, give a play-by-play of your actions with a Howard Cossell voice

• Imagine that your co-workers are robots, or vampires

• Talk to your computer, and give it a name

• Pretend you’ve never been anywhere before, and that everywhere is new

• Anytime you do something, ask, “What would Dwight Schrute Do?” (WWDSD?)

• Try to rhyme your emails or tweets

OK, those weren’t all great, but I’m sure you could think of better ones once you get into the right mindset.

We’ve had the play pounded out of us, from years of schooling and work. Bring the play back, by watching a kid and seeing how amazing life is for them.

Read the rest at Zen Habits.