Reading time: ~6 minutes
I have to admit something to you all here today: I like fun. I like having fun. I like doing fun things. In general the more fun I have the better my life is. In my travels over the years that seems to ring true for just about everyone I meet. Which is a good sign for me as I’m sure running into people who don’t like fun wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience at all. That being said, there are two types of fun and I’m going to explain them, and likely have to sell you a bit on why you should be incorporating more of the second into your own life.
Type 1 Fun: Good Ole Fashioned Fun
This is the fun that we all love to have. This type of fun is relaxing, energizing, or otherwise worthwhile simply because it makes you happy and brings you joy. It is the type of activity that is sought after for its own sake because enjoyment is the end goal. We all allocate some amount of our free time and disposable income to this type of fun and while your personal “most fun” activity may differ, everyone is familiar and should know exactly what I’m talking about here.
As an example, to you, this might be an expensive or otherwise special meal out at a new restaurant amongst friends. Or a concert for the act that you have been waiting months to go see. Or even the solo movie night that you carved out for yourself because you’re dying to see that new batman movie (although why they needed to make another one so soon is beyond me, I digress). The point is we all have a list of activities that don’t yield us any future returns on our time investment. We partake in them because they make us happy and that is plenty of reason to do so.
Why you would seek these is out is pretty much self-explanatory. Do you enjoy enjoying yourself and having whatever it is you would define as fun? Great. Then you’re probably doing this already and don’t need any guidance from me. Where this gets more interesting is when we start to talk about the second type of fun. One that is less intuitive, and potentially even more rewarding in both the short and long run.
Type 2 Fun: Earned Fun
This type of fun is a slightly more complex equation. Yes, this will still take place in your free time, but there is an ulterior motive towards going through these experiences. Most relevant to this category are those types of activities that are physically or mentally challenging and represent some sort of accomplishment when finished. The idea here is that while the activity itself may not fit within the first category: “Fun all the way through” it still certainly is an enjoyable experience and more importantly one that you feel pride in accomplishing. Type 2 fun experiences are those that tend to make for epic dinner party anecdotes, and ones that your friends may be jealous of or may say something along the lines of “Well I’m happy you’re happy but that certainly isn’t for me.”
Type 2 fun doesn’t always seem like fun, which is why you don’t see nearly as many people waking up at 5 am to climb a mountain as you see lined up at the bars on Friday night. Therein lies a bit of a paradox: how can something that isn’t entirely fun fall into the larger umbrella designation of “fun”, even if it is a separate category? Well, my argument would be that some of the most impactful and life-defining moments of your life won’t just be fun. They will be fun and _____ (insert adjective that is not a synonym for fun). Because many of our most treasured memories fall into this category, I propose that fun not be limited to those things that are fun in and of themselves. But rather the definition can be expanded to include those things that contain elements of fun, and elements of challenge and accomplishment. Therein lies meaning and fulfillment and if the failed hedonism experiment has taught us anything, it is that we need some of both to live a full and satisfying life.
A primetime example of this type of fun is the monumental physical task of running a marathon. Or hiking a 14er. Doing a 2000 piece puzzle would absolutely fall within this category. Camping for me is definitely Type 2 fun (for me camping is not entirely enjoyable although I’m always happy I did it once I’m back to my hot shower and cozy bed). Your mileage may vary here but I truly do find that when I undertake some Type 2 fun experience the endorphin high mixed with the feeling of accomplishment make whatever work I went through to get to the end well worth it. You can think of this as high ROI fun because the investment is real, but the payout is exponential.
Why should you prioritize more Type 2 fun experiences?
Everyone has a different opinion of what is challenging and everyone has a different opinion on what is fun. So obviously there is no one size fits all solution here. BUT, for everyone, there is something that is challenging and something that is worth the time and effort in accomplishing even if it doesn’t add to your bank account. These are the types of experiences that we tell our kids about. These are the experiences that lend color to an otherwise dull and routine life. I know that some of my most memorable stories have come from me waking up at an absurd hour to go on some physical adventure that sucks up a good portion of a valuable weekend day off from work. It sounds like “why would you do that” but I truly think you will gain serious value from your free time if you push yourself out of your comfort zone and into an activity that isn’t simply fun for the sake of being fun.
If you think about all of the stories that you tell to your parents when you call them to update them on your life, or when you catch up with friends that you haven’t seen for a while, I’m guessing that once you get beyond the “work, relationship, health” bullet points you will begin to discuss the things that you are proud that you’ve done and the hours you put in to achieve those things. Those things you are proud of that weren’t for work or for some kind of monetary gain make for interesting stories but more importantly, they make for an interesting life. That is the kind of life that I am seeking to have and I think one that we could all benefit from. Those are the stories that I love to hear from my friends and the ones that I know they tend to most enjoy telling.
So there it is. A new way to think about fun and (I hope) a somewhat convincing argument for how to plan an activity on your next trip. Or maybe a push in the direction to run that half marathon with your friends next year (the Malibu half is a fun time, just ask the Sub-two boys if you need confirmation). If you have any great stories about your favorite Type 2 fun activity then please shoot them my way. I love to hear about them and have an endless appetite to hear what my friends and extended network are up to.
"No fun allowed." I needa go on a dopamine detox so that I can find Type 2 Fun more enjoyable.