I promised my Mastermind Group during our recent call that, “I am never going to lead a retreat again that I have to pay to go to!”. Cracked one of the members up so much that she had me say it to her about three times before we hung up….and then email it to her again later in the day. It’s just going to happen sometimes when we’re playing at this thing called life that sometimes we’re going to put forth money to make a dream happen and the investment may not show up right away.

This morning I had a second meeting with a dear friend and we are brainstorming creating a television show. I can’t say more than that right now except to say that I have had a total blast brainstorming with her. I’m using every single skill that I’ve accumulated over the years to help come up with a concept, create a mission statement. discern the layout of the show, the guests on the show, the audience the show will attract, the advertisers that would see the pay off to sponsoring the show and then what people we both know who can fill in the nooks and crannies of the information we need to pull together. And I’m doing all of this so far with not one red cent coming my way. Eventually, I will be paid but what I love about right now is that I feel as free and happy about creating this as I used to feel when I was ten years old creating our play world for the day.

Some things that I’m learning along the way that may be helpful for you to allow yourself to play in your work like a ten year old:

1.) Find another person or two who likes to create and play like you do. Ideally they would have complimentary strengths to you. For instance, although my tv friend and I are both creative, she is very good at reeling in big ideas and keeping the power and excitement of those ideas but looking for what the first steps are to making this show happen.

2.) Don’t tell too many people.. Hopefully, about two people are reading this blog and I am being vague enough that you won’t know who I am talking about. Keep your dreams close to your chest so that no one can come by with a big ole pin to burst your bubble. Have fun with creating.

3.) Get a notebook, PDA, system that you can draft notes about your ideas. Today I took several pages of notes and wrote down ideas for the people I could connect with to ask for their wisdom in particular areas of television. I’ve got enough negativity in my brain already without adding naysayers to our posse, so for right now, I’m looking for people that we can talk with you can “act as if” it were really possible for us to create, produce and have this show.

4.) Remember the fun along the way. When I was little, my friends and I would spend hours and hours creating these elaborate worlds of make believe. We became characters and had costumes and scripts. My Dad’s dinnertime whistle always came way too soon!

5.) Invite only those people to “play” with you as you create your dream who want to get into the action. No armchair coaches allowed! Rainmakers are highly sought after!

Find a place or idea in your life today that you can play in like when you were ten years old. And if you had a rough childhood then there is no time like the presence to recreate the childhood of your dreams and play! As your dream unfolds and takes on energy you will mature in your play and be able to pull in your professional know-how and common sense to the actual running of the business. One rule that you must never lose sight of though is to always have FUN on the forefront. It’s amazing how many work tasks can actually become fun when we’re in a fun state of mind. After all, don’t they actually make play vacuum cleaners for kids???

What are you going to play at today?