In this first episode, we break the myth of “work-life balance” and dive into the power of play. Discover how embracing experimentation, failure, and fun can unlock your potential and redefine success in every aspect of life.
There’s a pervasive belief in our world today that we need to find a balance between our work lives and personal lives, like two opposing forces weighed on a set of scales.
This idea suggests that we have two separate selves: one person at work, driven by goals and productivity, and another at home, defined by dreams, relationships, and hobbies.
When people think of "work-life balance," they often picture the scales of justice—two sides trying to achieve a perfect equilibrium.
But this metaphor is fundamentally flawed. It suggests we must constantly juggle between these two identities, never fully committing to either, always at risk of tipping too far in one direction.
Instead, I propose a different way of thinking: imagine yourself as a rubber band, one unified, dynamic entity that stretches and contracts in motion.
Picture a rubber band pulled tight between two fingers. When it’s stretched, there’s potential energy, but no movement.
It’s only when you release one side that the rubber band shoots forward. The real progress happens not in the tension, but in the release.
It’s the letting go that propels the rubber band, rapidly creating forward momentum.
Similarly, in our lives, the secret to moving forward isn’t about maintaining a constant state of tension or striving for a perfect balance between two sides.
It’s about finding a rhythm in alternating between periods of intense focus and complete release.
It’s about giving yourself what I call:
"Permission to Play."
Failure as Fuel for Growth: Embracing Play Through Experimentation
Play, in its truest sense, is about exploration, experimentation, and, most importantly, failure.
And failure, when viewed correctly, is not the end—it’s the fuel for growth.
Take windsurfing, for example.
Over the last few summers, my son and I have been learning to windsurf, without a coach, guided only by YouTube videos and secondhand boards we picked up on Facebook Marketplace.
At first, it was hours of falling over, of not knowing how to hold the sail, and of struggling just to stand on the board.
But every failure was met with laughter and joy. It was a bonding experience, and it was foundational for building our skills.
Eventually, we figured out how to catch the wind, steer, and move the board. But the journey was far from straightforward.
At one point, my son dramatically improved while I remained stuck. He could glide effortlessly across the lake while I floundered.
It felt like a failure until we discovered the problem wasn’t skill—it was physics.
My height meant I needed to adjust the sail differently to generate power. Once we figured that out, everything changed.
What seemed like an endless string of failures was, in fact, a series of experiments leading us to a deeper understanding.
This same spirit of play guided me through renovating two RVs while traveling full-time with my family.
Carpentry, plumbing, electrical work—all of these were skills I had to learn by doing, failing, and trying again.
Every project was an opportunity to experiment, and every mistake was a lesson.
I remember building custom cabinets and mistakenly cutting the doors an inch too short, despite measuring multiple times.
I was frustrated until I realized they were perfect for another cabinet.
Through that mistake, I learned how to properly account for hinge overhang—a mistake I haven’t made since.
Even in business, I've learned that play—experimenting with new ideas, processes, and people—is essential.
For years, I was a solo operator, convinced I couldn’t afford to hire help. A mentor challenged me to hire someone full-time.
Reluctantly, I hired part-time, only to realize within two weeks the immense value of another person’s labor and creativity.
It was a failure of perspective that had held me back.
Now, with a team of 18, I see that leveraging the skills and potential of others is not only smart business—it’s a way to play on a bigger field.
The Rubber Band Metaphor: Knowing When to Stretch and When to Relax
The rubber band metaphor isn’t just about balancing work and life; it’s about recognizing when to push hard and when to let go—both on a macro and micro level.
On a macro level, it’s about understanding the seasons of life.
For example, summer tends to be a lighter season for my family.
We spend time playing games, doing fun projects, and enjoying each other’s company.
It’s not that there’s no work, but it’s a period focused on relaxation and play.
Once summer ends, we transition to a season of pushing hard—driving sales, building systems, and achieving big goals.
On a micro level, it’s about recognizing your daily rhythms.
There are moments in every day when you need to stretch—focus intensely on a task or project—and moments when you need to relax.
For instance, every Friday night, we have a "rule-free" night. No set bedtime, lots of snacks, and family movies.
It's our way of unwinding from a week of effort. Even within a single day, I balance intense work periods with breaks—whether it’s taking a walk, playing with my kids, or simply stepping away from my desk.
It’s about knowing your limits and creating space for both push and release.
Play as a Foundational Human Activity
Play is not a distraction; it is the essence of human creativity, growth, and progress.
High performers—whether they’re entrepreneurs, athletes, or artists—understand this at their core.
They don’t separate work from play.
They see their work as a game—a joyful, exhilarating challenge that allows them to push boundaries, experiment with new strategies, and discover new possibilities.
Consider this: Our martial arts instructor, an eight-time world champion, approaches his practice with a sense of fun.
For him, and for all high performers, the journey is the reward. The game is in discovering how far you can go, what limits you can break, and how much better you can become.
That’s what play is all about—constantly pushing, experimenting, and enjoying the process.
When you play, you’re free to fail, free to try new things, free to laugh at mistakes, and free to learn from them.
Integrating Play in Professional and Personal Contexts
Play isn't limited to a specific area of life—it applies everywhere.
In business, play means experimenting with new ideas, admitting when something doesn’t work, and moving on.
I remember a client asking if a particular solution was possible.
I honestly replied that I didn’t know, but we could play around with some options and find out.
That openness led us to invent a unique solution that didn’t exist before.
In personal life, play might mean collecting new skills—learning to juggle to improve coordination for piano playing or windsurfing to better understand sailing.
It’s about experimenting, testing boundaries, and finding joy in the process.
The Evolving Nature of the Platform: A Journey Through Play
The "Permission to Play" platform is a space where these ideas will evolve, where I’ll share stories and insights from various areas of life—philosophy, technology, storytelling, community building, and more.
Future topics will explore how storytelling ties into relationship building, religion, politics, cooking, and raising children.
It will cover everything from productivity hacks to questioning authority, from building cultures in business to breaking psychological barriers to action.
This platform will not be static; it will grow and change as I do, reflecting my curiosity and the diverse areas in which I choose to play.
Play as the Foundation for Human Progress
Play is what makes us unique as a species.
Other species play, but humans combine play with storytelling.
We document our experiences, share our failures and successes, and learn from each other.
Think about the Wright brothers experimenting with flight.
They played with the idea of flying, documented their trials and errors, and shared their stories.
These stories became the foundation of the technological advances that followed.
Play leads to storytelling, storytelling leads to knowledge, knowledge becomes technology, and technology shapes culture.
This is the cycle of human progress.
Play isn’t just for fun; it’s how we push boundaries, explore new possibilities, and drive humanity forward.
An Invitation to Play
So, I invite you to join me in embracing a life of play.
See every task, every project, every challenge as a game to be played, not a chore to be endured.
Stretch when you need to, but never forget to release.
Allow yourself to relax, to breathe, to rest, and, most importantly, to play.
Because in that play, you will find your strength, your creativity, and your ability to make an impact.
This is Permission to Play—a new way of living, achieving, and being.
Join me on this journey, and let's explore the infinite possibilities that open up when we dare to play.
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