97By changing our study into a challenging game, we
had taken the “work” out of the task and replaced it
with play. Did we work as hard? Harder! But by trans-
forming work into play, we increased our energy and
our sense of creativity.
Most people who play a lot of golf or tennis work
much harder at their games than they do at work. All
people work harder at play than they do at work, be-
cause there’s no resistance. Golfers are working harder
on the golf course than they are at their professions.
They don’t always know this (although their spouses
usually do) because it doesn’t feel like work—it feels
like fun. They bring more energy, innovation, and zest
to what they’re doing out on the course because it’s a
game. They also bring an ongoing commitment to in-
creasing their skills. Everyone is interested in getting
better at the games they play.
As for the effect of games on energy, consider a bunch
of guys playing poker all night. Because poker is a game,
people can play it all night until the sun comes up. When
they finally come home to sleep, you might be tempted
to ask them, “How did you manage to stay up all night?
Were you drinking coffee and cokes?” No, they confess,
they were drinking beer. “But shouldn’t beer slow you
down and make you tired?” Not if you are playing a game!
In fact, you’ll also learn that they were probably smok-
ing cigars and eating junk snacks as well. Not generally
known as stimulants. What was stimulating was the
game. The joy of competition.
Playwright Noel Coward once said, “Work is more
fun than fun.” I included that quote in a seminar guide-
book for a sales group a year ago and one of the partici-
pants in the back of the room raised his hand and said,
“Yeah, Steve, who is this Noel Coward guy? I figure with
Put on your game face