You’ll be happier, healthier and more productive if you find more time to do something you enjoy every day. Here’s how to make it work.

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Warning: Nerd Alert is imminent.

Final Fantasy IV is the best video game of all time.

You can try (unsuccessfully) to prove me wrong on this by shooting me an an email and arguing (incorrectly) for your video game of choice.

Again, you’d be wrong.

Commonly known as Final Fantasy II (or FFII) in the United States, FFII was a role playing game for the Super Nintendo.

Yes, I’m dating myself with this one.

Up until I was introduced to this masterpiece in video game format, I was cool with messing around on standard platform level games and moving from board to board. Admirable gaming exposure.

FFII changed all of that.

I got lost in the story of a young Dark Knight named Cecil Harvey and his quest to ditch his evil past and learn how to be a Paladin to restore good to the world again.

Since then, video games with massive stories (also known as Role Playing Games, or RPGs) have been my preferred source of entertainment.

From Final Fantasy II to Skyrim to Witcher III and Gods of War and everything in between, if you’ve got a massive storyline and hours of gameplay ahead … I’m all in.

Look, I warned you about the nerd alert. But, I promise there’s a deeper takeaway here.

My game playing experience is not nearly as involved as it used to be since I’m doing the adulting thing now. But I still spend a few minutes every now and then just losing myself in a solid RPG.

Which leads to my broader point: Do you have something that allows you to have fun and be a kid again?

If so, when was the last time you practiced this hobby? And for how long? Or how often?

Today we’re going to talk about why you need to embrace this practice and do something you enjoy every day. Yes, every single day. No matter how busy you are or how crazy your schedule looks, it’ll go a long way towards improving your fat loss journey.

Huh?

I’ll explain why this is and how to make this enjoyable practice a regular habit in your day.

Let’s get into it.

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Why you must do something you enjoy every day

There’s this culture of “Non-Stop Hustling” that has poisoned the social media wells over the last decade or more.

You see it in the hashtags:

• #NoDaysOFF
• #Grindin
• #AllAboutThatHustle

Certain internet influencers have embraced this “no days off” mentality and want you to follow in their footsteps.

It’s misguided and totally unnecessary.

In fact, taking time off is essential to being in top performing condition. In fact, my business as a coach and small business owner didn’t start to take off until I starting taking actual days off throughout my week.

Look, professional athletes take breaks during games, in the middle of the schedule and after the season.

If the pros need breaks in order to perform at a top level, why shouldn’t we?

“But, Pete … I’m not an athlete and this is not a sport. In order to be successful, I’ve got to immerse myself in my work and grind.”

Why? Because some billionaire who has a massive team working behind the scenes told you this is the case?

Now, let’s be clear: Work/Life Balance isn’t really much of an achievable goal when you’re a working parent trying to survive.

You’ll probably never hit that utopian dream of a perfect 50/50 balance. But, you can certainly do better than what you’re experiencing right now.

And that starts with finding something you enjoy, something you’re passionate about, something that you can look forward to performing or practicing every day and then actually doing it.

There are four pillars to my Lean4Life Academy

Our approach to building a long-term healthy lifestyle is a holistic one and includes what I call my Daily DOSE. If you handle these four things consistently on a daily basis, you’ll transform your mind, body and soul:

• Diet
• One enjoyable thing (or mindfuless)
• Sleep
• Exercise

It’s that second bullet point (“one enjoyable thing”) where so many people mess it all up. You think there’s not enough time for fun, especially during the week with kids and work obligations.

Far from true.

In fact, I’d argue this second bullet is one of the most overlooked parts of life that we need to emphasize daily.

Every single day you should be doing something fun.

Do something you enjoy.

Find something that makes you laugh, gets you excited or simply calms you down and allows you to chill out from the anxieties of the day.

While for most of my online coaching clients, they typically use this one enjoyable thing as a mindfulness practice. And that’s totally cool, too.

But, I still encourage you to try and incorporate something fun into your day, regardless.

The benefits of finding time for this practice will echo in your success with business, relationships and even parenting:

More motivation

When you prioritize your own personal enjoyment, life is measurably better. A byproduct of this is that you are more motivated to take action on other markers of improvement.

Having something to look forward to every single day … makes it easier to get through each and every day.

Especially on those days when life isn’t exactly the awesomest.

Better health

If you’re happier, you’re less stressed. Lower stress levels mean better sleep, better hunger management, more energy and just better overall health.

Stress is the hidden enemy of fat loss. Beat back stress and you could finally start seeing that weight loss progress you’ve been chasing after.

Increased productivity

If you have something you enjoy and can look forward to every day, it’ll make the actual work part of your day feel a little lighter. A little easier.

As a result, you’ll be more inclined to crush that to-do list and get your work done so you get to your enjoyable activity.

Improved relationships

How often have you found yourself snapping at loved ones because the stress and anxiety of the day gets the best of you?

If you are a happier and healthier person, it trickles down to all facets of your life. Including your relationships with family, friends and even coworkers.

How to find time to do something you enjoy every day

Stop trying to solve all of the world’s problems in one day. Instead, I want you to think about taking bite-sized snacks in order to make this work.

Perhaps that means committing to just reading one page of your favorite book per day. Or watching just 15-20 minutes of that show or movie. Maybe it’s opting for one song or one quick game or just a few minutes of building that Lego Star Wars set per day.

But it’s a consistent few minutes per day. Every day. It gives you one small hit of dopamine and increased serotonin levels to look forward to every day.

When you’re crazy busy with kids, it makes this more difficult. But not impossible. You just need to reevaluate your schedule and priorities and think creatively.

Instead of asking for an hour of gaming, can you do 15-20 minutes? In many RPG-style games, that’s enough time to complete one task or quick adventure.

This one enjoyable thing should not necessarily be fitness or nutrition related, either.

So while I appreciate anyone who is really into crushing max deadlifts, I still want you to find a passion outside of the gym.

You can take up baking.

Dancing.

Singing.

Reading.

Writing (for anything outside of work).

Hell, you can be like me and still be a big video gaming nerd.

But, the point remains that I want you to find something. And do it. Consistently.

Be a little bit of a kid again. Every single day. It’ll go a long way towards enjoying this journey and appreciating the little things we do have.

Life is far too short to be grinding on that hustle culture all of the time.

Slow it down. Chill the fuck out. Take a few minutes to enjoy the fact that we’re here and breathing and have been gifted with this one opportunity to live a full and meaningful life.

Have some more fun.

Let me help you figure how to do something you enjoy every day … 

Finding the right time and right workout plan can be incredibly overwhelming. But, I’m here to help you out.

If you have any questions, reach out. I answer all of my emails at pete [at] petecataldo [.] com … Hit me up with the subject line “Do something you enjoy every day” and I’ll answer any questions you have about developing a lifestyle that works for you.

Or you can hit me up anytime on the socialz on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

If you enjoyed this post, maybe you’d like more knowledge bombs from me. I’d be honored if you join my mailing list to get regular updates every time I post something pretty dope.