How to Act Like a Child and Get Ahead at Work

Face it, life in Grownup Land can be hard sometimes. From finding jobs to finding gray hairs, the stress and frustration can make you long for the days when your biggest problem was having training wheels on your bike that were uneven. Oh, to be a kid again! cute young girl laughing While we can turn back time by botoxing this and implanting that, what truly makes a difference in reclaiming your youth is recapturing that carefree, youthful spirit. Here are a few easy ways to adjust your attitude, kick-start your creativity and even boost your business just by tuning in to the child within:

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. IT'S PLAYTIME!! All work and no play? It’s a familiar theme for many of us trying to start careers and businesses, but it leaves our lives feeling unbalanced. Be sure to spend time with your friends or loved ones, and once in a while, forget about talking business! Get outside, throw around a football, shoot some hoops, go mini-golfing or just play on the swingset at a park. Playtime can also be effective building relationships. Bond while watching a professional basketball, baseball or hockey game, or show off your swing on the tennis court or golf course. Recess may be a thing of the past in Grownup Land but you should never underestimate the power of the playground!
2. LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE: Children laugh and smile – a lot! Chalk it up to ignorance if you like, but they are blissfully unaware of the difficult road that lies ahead – and they’re okay with that! Scientists are discovering that laughter is not only good for the heart and immune system; it can also boost your creativity and improve your test scores at school by making you feel more relaxed. No matter how tough life gets, you can always find something to laugh at or smile about and you will feel better. Look around.
3. IT'S JUST A SCRATCH...: Don’t be afraid to take risks in your personal or professional lives. Aside from the boogeyman, children are pretty fearless of the world around them. They climb trees and fences, jump off rooftops into swimming pools, and ride skateboards down steep hills just to see how fast they can go. If they get hurt, once you put a bandage on the boo-boo, they’re off and running again! Children are resilient – and you can be too.
4. THINK AND DREAM BIG! A child’s mind works a mile a minute and has little understanding of the word “impossible.” So if you ever find yourself stuck on a problem or you feel fresh out of ideas, just start throwing out thoughts. Try to brainstorm as many ideas as you can in one minute, no matter how big or small they are. Remember, from a child’s perspective, anything is possible!
5. GO AHEAD, THROW A TANTRUM: They may not know a lot of big words, but children are expert negotiators. There’s even a humorously insightful book called How to Negotiate Like a Child, which talks about using child-like tactics to win ‘em over in the boardroom (although saying “I’ll be your best friend” might not be enough to seal the deal).