Our society has crafted a culture where our successes are mostly determined in what we do professionally. I believe there has been a split between what we actually believe to be success in our lives and what we share with other people. For many people I believe there are their work lives and their personal lives. But unfortunately society seems only concerned with someone’s success at work, disregarding any other forms of success. I want to explore how success in work may be able to be obtained in a recreation setting as well.
In a book titled, The Psychology of Becoming a Successful Worker, the book primarily focuses on the positive sides of work and what that means for success. The authors explain how while success at work may be related to career-oriented individuals, there are also a lot of other forms of success “consisting of knowledge, competence, and accomplishment, stemming from an inner drive to work well and create an expression of mastery” (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2014). This form of success is explained very well. I also believe these forms can be obtained in the work place as well as outside. The key component I think that is missing within the workplace is freedom. Freedom to choose what you’re doing is one of the fundamental aspects in Leisure and Recreation. Leisure is engaging in any art or skill for the sheer joy of it, Jim Rice writes in his article Why Play?. If you look at the definition of success in the terms of recreation, you will find the two are very compatible. Knowledge, competence, and accomplishment are all parts of the concept I explained in prior posts about Flow. Flow is the perfect mix between challenge and skill essential to getting to the optimal mindset in recreation. From this definition above, flow can exist by obtaining the right levels of knowledge and competency which results in accomplishments. The freedom aspect in recreation is what makes flow such a positive place. If you’re pushing yourself to higher levels of performance while keeping the confidence to follow through in a work place setting you can expect this “success” that’s explained. However if you’re doing this in a situation based on total free will and choice, you are more personally invested and a success resonates stronger.
As Määttä and Uusiautti also wrote in their definition of success in the workplace it creates an “expression of mastery”. This can also be related to recreation as in anyone can master a specific sport or skill. So this means mastery is not only confined to a working environment.
Working and healthy success are highly compatible but I would argue that the success you receive in recreation is much deeper because you have given yourself the freedom to choose what you’re doing which results in you becoming more invested in it. I want to continue to work hard and gain success in the work place, but I also wonder why society has taught us to completely disregarded recreation as a form of success when it’s what makes people really happy. Isn't being happy the best success of them all?
The Psychology of Becoming a Successful Worker:
http://reader.eblib.com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/(S(xjlc3cdxqxb1xflhig4dxljf))/Reader.aspx?p=1734182&o=1338&u=L2nXP2OoZYHwQgxFDVwr6g%3d%3d&t=1415588374&h=C62CD59836B1854D9686BC9F29FBDF09FC131328&s=30128737&ut=4509&pg=1&r=img&c=1250&pat=n&cms=2&sd=2#
Why Play by Jim Rice
In a book titled, The Psychology of Becoming a Successful Worker, the book primarily focuses on the positive sides of work and what that means for success. The authors explain how while success at work may be related to career-oriented individuals, there are also a lot of other forms of success “consisting of knowledge, competence, and accomplishment, stemming from an inner drive to work well and create an expression of mastery” (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2014). This form of success is explained very well. I also believe these forms can be obtained in the work place as well as outside. The key component I think that is missing within the workplace is freedom. Freedom to choose what you’re doing is one of the fundamental aspects in Leisure and Recreation. Leisure is engaging in any art or skill for the sheer joy of it, Jim Rice writes in his article Why Play?. If you look at the definition of success in the terms of recreation, you will find the two are very compatible. Knowledge, competence, and accomplishment are all parts of the concept I explained in prior posts about Flow. Flow is the perfect mix between challenge and skill essential to getting to the optimal mindset in recreation. From this definition above, flow can exist by obtaining the right levels of knowledge and competency which results in accomplishments. The freedom aspect in recreation is what makes flow such a positive place. If you’re pushing yourself to higher levels of performance while keeping the confidence to follow through in a work place setting you can expect this “success” that’s explained. However if you’re doing this in a situation based on total free will and choice, you are more personally invested and a success resonates stronger.
As Määttä and Uusiautti also wrote in their definition of success in the workplace it creates an “expression of mastery”. This can also be related to recreation as in anyone can master a specific sport or skill. So this means mastery is not only confined to a working environment.
Working and healthy success are highly compatible but I would argue that the success you receive in recreation is much deeper because you have given yourself the freedom to choose what you’re doing which results in you becoming more invested in it. I want to continue to work hard and gain success in the work place, but I also wonder why society has taught us to completely disregarded recreation as a form of success when it’s what makes people really happy. Isn't being happy the best success of them all?
The Psychology of Becoming a Successful Worker:
http://reader.eblib.com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/(S(xjlc3cdxqxb1xflhig4dxljf))/Reader.aspx?p=1734182&o=1338&u=L2nXP2OoZYHwQgxFDVwr6g%3d%3d&t=1415588374&h=C62CD59836B1854D9686BC9F29FBDF09FC131328&s=30128737&ut=4509&pg=1&r=img&c=1250&pat=n&cms=2&sd=2#
Why Play by Jim Rice
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why_play.docx |