It’s not easy being breezy
Vol. 2, Edition 3, February 2024
Hi friend,
There you go again, rising above the fray and finding the simplest, most effective way forward. Clarifying the message. Communicating with gusto. Getting everyone onboard. And projecting a sense of confidence and optimism along the way.
My, you make it look easy.
As if comms work weren’t hard enough, there’s often an unspoken expectation that it should be simple. And fun.
Most days, that’s probably okay with you. You genuinely like your profession, and your organization depends on that energy. But sometimes, just sometimes, you might need to, well, pretend a little.
On behalf of all your colleagues who might not know how hard it is, we say: Thanks for taking one for the team. This newsletter provides a few ways to generate enthusiasm on days you’re looking for a bit of inspiration.
You’re the best.
Cheers,
Mary Pat Nimon
President
idea one
You know what we mean
We have an unusual concentration of remarkable writers here at WordsFresh. So maybe it’s no surprise that sometimes one of them creates a new word that catches on.
Lately, we’ve been hearing:
“We need to funify their intranet.”
“How can we funify this dull business document?”
“If we don’t funify the mailing, no one will open it.”
Here’s a single word that clearly communicates what needs to happen, but doesn’t dictate how it happens. When you funify a project, you can quickly raise the level of creativity and engagement. Add ‘funify’ to your work lexicon and watch the fireworks.
fun·i·fy /ˈfənɪˌfaɪ/ verb
- To transform an ordinary or dull situation, task or object into something engaging, enjoyable or interesting, thereby inducing joy, enthusiasm or a sense of light-heartedness.
Example: After deciding to funify the weekly team meetings, Marissa surprised her team by throwing bite-sized candy bars to anyone who contributed an idea, which not only made the meetings more enjoyable but increased team cohesion and productivity.
Usage Notes: Commonly used in educational, professional and personal contexts, where the injection of fun into standard procedures is seen as a way to enhance engagement, learning and overall well-being.
Derived Forms: fun·i·fi·ca·tion /ˌfənɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/, noun; fun·i·fi·er /ˈfənɪˌfaɪər/, noun
“With a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of laughter, the art of funification can turn the most monotonous task into a delightful adventure.”
What will you funify this week?
idea two
Make it fun to get it done
We’re guessing you’re really good at a lot of hard things. What about those routine, seemingly mindless tasks that are necessary evils in the business world?
If you’re like a lot of creative people, the easy things can quickly become the hard things.
That’s why we were excited when a team member initiated a voluntary 75 Hard-inspired challenge. Her version: We each set a goal for a daily task we want to do, we should do, but we don’t do as consistently as we’d like.
Each day, we take a photo when the task is complete and share it with the group. We’ll do this for 75 days, and if we miss a day we have to start over.
From timesheets to routine reports to social posts, it’s amazing to watch how many “easy” tasks are finally getting done consistently.
Possible rewards at the end include a candle pouring session, lunch in the park or a food tour. We have a while to decide, and that’s half the fun.
To quote our team member who originated (and named) this idea: “The 75 Fresh challenge helps me stay accountable to do the things that are no fun at all, so I can keep doing the parts of my job that bring me so much joy! It’s like a Jedi mind trick I play on myself. And if it can inspire and motivate others, even better!”
idea three
Goals need spring cleaning, too
The calendar says winter, but our hearts are beginning to reach for spring. And now, those ambitious goals from January can begin looking a little tired.
You’ve seen those dismal studies that show 80% of people who set goals in January abandon them by February.
Big deal, really. What’s most important is that you’re still looking for how you can progress in a way that feels fresh now. Let us help you do some spring cleaning in the goals department.
How hard could it be?
(Here’s what can happen when rockstars like you make it look easy.)
It’s not easy being breezy
Vol. 2, Edition 3, February 2024
Hi friend,
There you go again, rising above the fray and finding the simplest, most effective way forward. Clarifying the message. Communicating with gusto. Getting everyone onboard. And projecting a sense of confidence and optimism along the way.
My, you make it look easy.
As if comms work weren’t hard enough, there’s often an unspoken expectation that it should be simple. And fun.
Most days, that’s probably okay with you. You genuinely like your profession, and your organization depends on that energy. But sometimes, just sometimes, you might need to, well, pretend a little.
On behalf of all your colleagues who might not know how hard it is, we say: Thanks for taking one for the team. This newsletter provides a few ways to generate enthusiasm on days you’re looking for a bit of inspiration.
You’re the best.
Cheers,
Mary Pat Nimon
President
idea one
You know what we mean
We have an unusual concentration of remarkable writers here at WordsFresh. So maybe it’s no surprise that sometimes one of them creates a new word that catches on.
Lately, we’ve been hearing:
“We need to funify their intranet.”
“How can we funify this dull business document?”
“If we don’t funify the mailing, no one will open it.”
Here’s a single word that clearly communicates what needs to happen, but doesn’t dictate how it happens. When you funify a project, you can quickly raise the level of creativity and engagement. Add ‘funify’ to your work lexicon and watch the fireworks.
fun·i·fy /ˈfənɪˌfaɪ/ verb
- To transform an ordinary or dull situation, task or object into something engaging, enjoyable or interesting, thereby inducing joy, enthusiasm or a sense of light-heartedness.
Example: After deciding to funify the weekly team meetings, Marissa surprised her team by throwing bite-sized candy bars to anyone who contributed an idea, which not only made the meetings more enjoyable but increased team cohesion and productivity.
Usage Notes: Commonly used in educational, professional and personal contexts, where the injection of fun into standard procedures is seen as a way to enhance engagement, learning and overall well-being.
Derived Forms: fun·i·fi·ca·tion /ˌfənɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/, noun; fun·i·fi·er /ˈfənɪˌfaɪər/, noun
“With a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of laughter, the art of funification can turn the most monotonous task into a delightful adventure.”
What will you funify this week?
idea two
Make it fun to get it done
We’re guessing you’re really good at a lot of hard things. What about those routine, seemingly mindless tasks that are necessary evils in the business world?
If you’re like a lot of creative people, the easy things can quickly become the hard things.
That’s why we were excited when a team member initiated a voluntary 75 Hard-inspired challenge. Her version: We each set a goal for a daily task we want to do, we should do, but we don’t do as consistently as we’d like.
Each day, we take a photo when the task is complete and share it with the group. We’ll do this for 75 days, and if we miss a day we have to start over.
From timesheets to routine reports to social posts, it’s amazing to watch how many “easy” tasks are finally getting done consistently.
Possible rewards at the end include a candle pouring session, lunch in the park or a food tour. We have a while to decide, and that’s half the fun.
To quote our team member who originated (and named) this idea: “The 75 Fresh challenge helps me stay accountable to do the things that are no fun at all, so I can keep doing the parts of my job that bring me so much joy! It’s like a Jedi mind trick I play on myself. And if it can inspire and motivate others, even better!”
idea three
Goals need spring cleaning, too
The calendar says winter, but our hearts are beginning to reach for spring. And now, those ambitious goals from January can begin looking a little tired.
You’ve seen those dismal studies that show 80% of people who set goals in January abandon them by February.
Big deal, really. What’s most important is that you’re still looking for how you can progress in a way that feels fresh now. Let us help you do some spring cleaning in the goals department.
How hard could it be?
(Here’s what can happen when rockstars like you make it look easy.)
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