The Top 10 Ways to Play the Work / Life Game

"Imagine your life as a game with rules and goals, roles and scores," says consultant Geoffrey M. Bellman, in Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge. "Within this game called Life, you decide its purposes and rules. You decide the roles you will play, you decide what earns points; you keep score. Actions that move you toward your life goal earn points. You create the game of Life as you play it; you can change the rules. Unpredictable, uncontrollable, unreasonably outside forces influence Life. (You are not in charge!) You are in the middle of Life now; you are playing."

Work is a game within the game of Life, and when you arrive to "play" Work things are different. The challenge is to engage deeply with both games and keep Work within the larger context of Life. Here are his guides for doing this:

1. Create your life game.

The secret of getting things done when you are not in charge is to establish a life larger than work, in which you are more in charge than at work. Without this larger, more important life game, you will end up playing by the rules of the work game, or reacting against them with no clear sense of purpose.

2. Learn the work game.

There is a work game where you work. It has its own rules and roles, goals and penalties--whether you are aware of it or not. There are ways for people to succeed. Certain behaviors are respected; others are disparaged. Learn this.

3. Understand the work game.

It is not a matter of liking, but of understanding how this work game works.

4. Know your position in the work game.

This allows you to know where you are starting from. Again, it does not mean that you like it, but that you understand what comes with the position you have.

5. The best starting point for changing your position, or the work game, is to know what you are starting with.

Of course, if you hate your position, you should not be playing here. Which leads to ...

6. Recognize there are other work games.

There are other places in this world of work where you could be offering your talents. All of those other places have work games of their own.

7. Choose the work game you play, always honoring your larger life game.

If your life game is not being served by this work game, then go play somewhere else. Your ultimate power in the work game comes from choosing to play here, and knowing you make that choice daily.

8. Play well and hard at work Work and Life.

Concentrate. Keep reminding yourself of what is important. Know your skills and your aspirations.

9. Life direction is your source of power; options open when you see your work as a vital part of your life.

10. Creating your life game is difficult.

You are the game designer, rulemaker, player, coach, referee, scorekeeper, cheerleader, and spectator. What do you want to do with this life? And how might your work support you at that?

This piece was originally submitted by Susan Dunn, M.A., Clinical Psychology, Momentum Coaching, who can be reached at sdunn@susandunn.cc or visited on the web. Susan Dunn wants you to know: I'm a personal life coach and help clients succeed by increasing their emotional intelligence, understanding their strengths better, and doing the inner work. Email me for free ezine. The original source is: Geoffrey Bellman, "Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge'.