How to enjoy a Daily Micro Mischief
Nine short ideas for making today a little more delightful
Hi! My name is Bree, and I write about how to have better days at work and in life. Subscribe for posts on everything from 20 short rules for better days at work to Grandpa Mornings. For posts like this but make it a book with a neon smiley face, PRE-ORDER TODAY WAS FUN HERE!
“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.”
―Mary Oliver
Me, too, Mary Oliver. LA LALA LALA.
Mischief is so important, ESPECIALLY at work. Being a little bit ridiculous is good for our humanity, and it’s also good for business. It kicks us out of “look normal and presentable” mode and into “You know what would be a fucking delight…” mode. It gives us that amazing shot of adrenaline knowing we’re doing something a little bit subversive, a little bit playful, a little bit expressive and human and fun. It also builds our confidence. Makes us bolder humans and leaders. And MOST OF ALL, mischief makes for great days.
Now we don’t want big mischief like embezzlement (lacks the cute factor). We want Daily Micro Mischief. Just enough subversion to keep us feeling like the brilliant minds and good hangs we are.
Here are nine DMMs you can try this week!
Order umbrella picks. Bonus points if you order them to your office and expense them as “team building”. Use them in your coffee or tea. EVEN BETTER, pass them out at a meeting so everyone no longer has mediocre office coffee, they have umbrella drinks! Watch as everyone passing the conference room wishes they were in your meeting.
Flaunt a weird accessory. A bird hat. Flamingo socks. A raccoon mug. Doesn’t have to be animal-based, but it helps. It’s hard to have a bad day in a bird hat.
Ask your team, "What’s the most hilarious way to solve our problem?” It’s easy to come up with the normal solutions. You know, because they’re normal. Mischief is the precursor to innovation, ingenuity, and bold business decisions. Most importantly, it’s more fun to run a business this way!
Work from a park. From wherever you are, find the nearest bench with a tree. Use your phone as a hotspot. Mobile office. Even better, bring a coworker and an iced beverage. (Did you know nearly half of the US population has insufficient Vitamin D levels?!)
Add an “easter egg” to your work. Work in advertising? Name the characters in your ad after your client’s kids. Have a restaurant? When a customer orders sparkling water, switch out their cup to one with bubbles in the glass (easier to know what to refill too!) Work in finance? Put a riddle at the end of each report. Delight someone.
Do something other than sit in a meeting. Stretch, stand, walk, recline, make lunch! Not to be distracting—just to model that you’re a human with a body and that body is happier if it moves and eats.
Spend the first five minutes of your next meeting learning everyone’s pet’s names. I almost wrote “pet names” like shmoopy, and on reflection, you could give that one a go too if HR isn’t around. You have to know people before you can like them. And once you like them, it’s much easier to trust them. Want a trusting, high-performing team? Skip “how was your weekend?” and go straight to this:
Schedule a disappearing meeting. We talk a big talk about combatting burnout with purpose and recognition. I mean, I support both of those things! But you know what people really need sometimes? AN HOUR TO FUCK RIGHT OFF. Schedule a Friday meeting called “Mandatory Next Action Planning” and when everyone arrives, say, “I see everyone is here for their Mandatory NAP! Meeting cancelled. Use this hour to enjoy your life.”
Start a Where’s Waldo game at the office. Pick one cute item and hide it around the office in plain sight. When someone finds it, they hide it next. Why? For fun. (When did “for fun?” become a bad answer?)
IF YOU’RE LIKE, “YES PLEASE DMM AND KEEP THE FUN COMING!” THEN I HAVE A FEW THINGS FOR YOU:
Free Masterclass! Come join me and the confidence mastermind Lauren Currie on Wednesday—we’ll help you create more fun and confident teams. Over 1,000 people registered so far—come be one of them :)
Because confident ≠ Serious, "Professional", Jargon-y. Confident = Our ideas are so good they don't need to be hidden in jargon; We're so effective we can get shit done AND have a laugh; Our pleasure at work matters because we matter ←shouldn’t work be like that??Book launch party! What can I say, it’s a party for a book about fun so it’s guaranteed to be a good time. Register! And bring other fun folks!
Pre-order! Buy one copy and send your receipt to todaywasfun@breegroff.com and I’ll send you back a digital Today Was Fun Calendar (farside vibes, fewer cows). Buy 10+ for your team and I’ll send you a Kit for Ever-Better Days. You’ve got mail!
I absolutely love the pet names idea. That’s a much nicer way to team build than the usual corporate jargon. Plus there’s nothing better than the usually stoic coworker turning into a melty puddle describing their doggo.
A few things:
- I recently made a #pets channel in my company Slack and I love how learning about my co-workers' pets has made them feel more human to me (especially in a remote setting)!
- "It’s hard to have a bad day in a bird hat." Of this, I can attest! Specifically that bird hat!
- "Put a riddle at the end of each report. Delight someone." Don't think I didn't notice you snuck a riddle/puzzle in at the back of the book!! Have not figured it out yet, but I WILL!
- My Hoptimist told me he's very honored to have made the post.
- I can confirm that the Kit for Ever-Better Days has made my days ever-better.
- I <3 you.