Add Challenge – Make Boring Work Fun

‘Bhaiyya, let’s have fun today,’ said Rahul. ‘Too much work. I need a break.’

‘True,’ said Rahul. ‘But I wonder why work is not fun. And why fun cannot be work.’

‘How can work ever be fun bhaiyya?’ said Rahul. 

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘I don’t understand it when people say we must enjoy our work. How’s that possible?’

‘Good question,’ said Rakesh. ‘Even I’d like to find out. If we understand how, our lives will be brilliant. Tell me, why is work boring?’ 

‘Because we ‘have’ to do it,’ said Rahul. ‘And do the same thing again and again everyday. We need to concentrate, use our mind.’

‘So going to the canteen is fun while going to class is work, right?’ asked Rakesh.

‘Absolutely bhaiyya,’ agreed Rahul.

‘What if attending canteen everyday between 9 and 5 was made compulsory,’ said Rakesh. ‘Would that be fun?’

‘No way,’ said Rahul. ‘It’s like class then. What’s the fun if they tell us what to do, when and how?’

‘And bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘Interesting classes are great fun. And I get bored in the canteen too.’

 ‘Hmm, looks like things are not fun when they are imposed on you and leave you no choice,’ said Rakesh. ‘And also when they are not interesting. Now, if we can crack these issues, we can make work fun.’

‘How bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul.

‘By watching Chotu closely,’ said Rakesh. ‘Washing cups, cleaning tables and serving chai every day is hard, boring work. Chotu can choose to hate his job or enjoy it. What do you think he is choosing?’

‘He looks like he is thoroughly enjoying himself,’ said Rinku. ‘How has he made his work fun, bhaiyya?’

‘Let’s ask him?’ said Rakesh. ‘Chotu, how come you enjoy your work so much?’

‘Bhaiyya,’ said Chotu with a big smile. ‘I’ve no choice on ‘what’ to do - washing, cleaning and serving – that’s my job. But I can choose ‘how’ to do it. So I challenge myself - I make my cups spotless, I wash fastest and I make all customers happy. These are my decisions.’

‘Wow,’ said Rinku. ‘You decided to make your work interesting by adding your own challenge to it. And in the process, you’re getting better at your work.’ 

‘Bhaiyya, but I know some people who think fun is disrupting things,’ asked Rahul. ‘How do we choose bhaiyya?’

‘Rahul, you can choose to wash cups spotlessly or to break them,’ said Rakesh. ‘Just like you can choose between disrupting the class or learning one new concept well. Choose what grows you.’

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘Now we can make the most boring jobs interesting - by adding our own challenge to it.’

‘l choose to add extra ginger to my chai,’ said Rahul. ‘And make it interesting.’

Pro tip: To make work fun, choose ‘how’ you want to do it. Add some challenge and work gets interesting. You engage deeply and get better at it. 

Exercise: Pick one area that is boring to do but is essential for growth. Team up with another person and devise ways to add challenge to make that interesting. Eg. Sharing the results with one another, or on social media. Share stories with others. 


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