Guest blogger Kathy Oppegard is a coach and author who helps people working in the environmental movement have more fun and get more done, while doing their important work in the world. She shares insights here, based on her presentation at the 2018 Wisconsin Land Trust Conference, into using play as a way to ignite the fires of creativity and resourcefulness. Her presentation focused on helping land trusts plan for the annual event series called Wisconsin Land Trust Days.
In the middle of planning a great event for Land Trust Days? Wondering how to hit that sweet spot where the experience will be both fun and meaningful for participants?
Remember, what you bring to the planning process matters–when you have fun planning an event, that spirit shows in the experience you create for participants. When you have fun, your guests will have fun. Here are some tips:
- Include your interests in creating the event. What hobbies or interests does your team have? Pair what you love with an event on the land and it might just make new connections in the community. How about Wine in the Woods, a wine appreciation night under the stars? Or poetry, painting, trivia, or film.
- Have fun outside! Step away from Photoshop and the photocopier, and take a nature break. Get refreshed and renewed, and be reminded of why you do this important work. Skip stones, find elephants in the clouds, listen to the call of a tree frog, or catch a glimpse of a scarlet tanager.
- Whistle while you work. We all know event planning takes a lot of work. What could make it fun for you? Play your favorite jazz music while writing a blog post, or ask a friend to send you a silly video clip when you’re done making all of those key phone calls.
- Celebrate! Whether you work alone or you’re part of a team, break a big project down into munchable chunks. Mark the completion of those mini-milestones, and be sure to celebrate them before jumping into the next task. Even something simple like a pizza lunch or a walk to see prairie flowers in bloom can buoy your energy and prevent burnout.
When you have fun planning and hosting an event, it brings creative energy to your work. And it just might bring more people along to join the fun. Play is creative, resource-full, and invigorating.
Read about the power of play in my book, Fool Willing. Feel free to contact me at coaching@foolwillingbook.com or give me a call at 608-421-3725.
