Time/Fun/Work

On the way to work today, I got to thinking about a former blog post "Success in 40 Hours?".  I went back to read it, to remind myself of my thoughts from almost 3 years ago.  I was happy that I still agreed with them but today I want to add an additional note to the post.  

Work does not have to be work all of the time for a person/company to be successful.  

So, what does that mean?  Well, it means that you don't have to clock in, work every single second, then clock out.  There are many articles, studies and other information all over the internet detailing the importance of down-time, mind breaks and other distractions throughout the day.  And, guess what?  All of those little distractions are actually supposed to INCREASE productivity.  

Wait, how do distractions increase productivity?  Well, think about it.  If you are given an outlet a few times a day (for a measly 2 minutes) to do something besides work; Or, you're given an outlet to, say, blog about ideas that come into your mind; OR! You're given a few minutes to plan a new project that is totally unrelated to what you're working on now...Those little moments or things throughout the day give you the mind break that you need to then have better focus on the task at hand.  Is it really costing the company/institution anything to let you have that little break?  No.  If anything, it's a savings because you'll be more apt to stay and continue to improve where you work!  

So to all of you out there that think shutting down all of the fun and distraction that takes place in schools or workplaces, stop.  A happy work community shines bright on everyone.  The opposite is also true.  I'd rather everyone be happy.