Stop Thinking About the Outcome
Alan Watts had a way of cutting through the noise. He’d say things like, “The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple.” And yet, here we are—tying ourselves in knots, overcomplicating everything, acting like we need a grand justification to just… enjoy things.
We do it with work. With goals. With our stupid little to-do lists. Like we need to suffer first before we’re allowed to have a good time.
Enjoyment Is the Cheat Code
Here’s the truth: If you enjoy something, you’ll do it. You won’t have to drag yourself through it, bribe yourself with productivity hacks, or pretend you’re someone who thrives on “discipline.” (Let’s be honest, no one actually does.)
Joy is its own fuel. When you’re enjoying something, you don’t need a reward system. You don’t need a motivational speech. You just do it—because it feels good.
The real mistake? Thinking fun happens after success, like it’s some trophy waiting at the finish line. But what if success was just… enjoying the thing itself? What if messing around, experimenting, doing something just because it feels good, was actually the point?
Imagine playing a video game and refusing to explore, never taking a risk, treating it like a military operation instead of an adventure. You’d suck all the joy out of it. And then what’s the point?
Make It Fun (On Purpose)
If you’re dreading something, if you’re grinding through it like it’s a punishment, ask yourself: How can I make this fun?
Not in a “Put on a fake smile” kind of way, but in a “What would actually make this enjoyable for me?” kind of way.
- Would it be funnier if you did it upside down?
- Could you blast an obnoxiously dramatic soundtrack while doing it?
- Could you treat it like an experiment—What happens if I completely change my approach today?
- Could you turn it into a game, a challenge, or even a joke?
Kids do this instinctively. They don’t just walk, they hop, spin, race imaginary opponents. They turn the most mundane activities into play because why wouldn’t they?
Stop Taking It So Seriously
The only reason failure stings is because we act like everything is so serious. Like every small setback is some dramatic life crisis. But it’s not. It’s just data. “Huh. That didn’t work. Let’s try something else.”
Failure is only painful when you treat it like a personal attack instead of a plot twist. When you make it part of the process—when you stop seeing every mistake as some deep existential flaw—you realise you’re never actually failing. You’re just figuring things out.
And the real failure? It’s not messing up. It’s not getting rejected. It’s not even falling flat on your face. It’s getting so obsessed with where you’re going that you forget to enjoy the damn journey.
If you keep acting like happiness is waiting for you after some big achievement, you’ll never get there. Because there will always be another milestone. Another “next step.” And before you know it, you’ve spent your whole life chasing something that was there all along.
So lower the stakes. Laugh at yourself. Stop pretending everything is a life-or-death mission. Play with it. Find the fun in the work. Because the only thing worse than not getting what you wanted?
Realising you were miserable the entire time trying to get it.