Get Everything Done

Seeing that Mark has made a faster form of FVP, I think it is relevant now to show this tweak I have been using. It is basically an index card that I folded in half that I place over my FVP notebook when I needed a break. Written on the card are descriptions of what play and rest are in relation to work as a reminder.

I find that it is best to remove all play and relaxation items from the task list if this tweak is to be used.

http://imgur.com/a/ttpXg

To use this tweak, one should differentiate between relaxation, play, leisure, and work, and unfortunately the discussion can become quite philosophical.

Play and leisure might look like they are the same; the reason for this is that they have the same effect, which is joy. They however differ with the potential effect they have to a person.

If a joyful activity done for a significant amount of time and resources only stagnates or harms, then you can consider that to be "play": crossword puzzles, video games, joking around with people, surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos, and similar activities.

However, if a joyful activity done for a significant amount of time and resources enriches someone's life, then it can be called "leisure": going to church, praying, reading great pieces of literature, spending time with family, learning new languages, playing a musical instrument, and so on.

So do these descriptions mean that play is inherently bad? Not at all. Play has an important role in our lives, so much so that St Thomas Aquinas thinks of those who do not play and who have no sense of humor as vicious, boorish, rude, and (ultimately) evil.

The role of play can be found in its effect: joy. Joy is the result of us getting what we want; that is, with joy, our hearts rest. That is why, for the ancients, play is the rest of heart and soul as relaxation and repose are the rest of the physical body.

From this discussion we can already see the correct relationship of relaxation, play, work, and leisure in our lives. Leisure is the greatest thing we can do in our lives, not work, since it is leisure that enriches our lives. Work, rather, serves leisure, in that it gives us the resources to have leisure. Relaxation and play serve both work and leisure; they refresh our body, mind, and soul, and give us the energy we need to work and do leisure better.

Lastly, a playful activity must be enjoyed for the sake of itself or it will not give us joy, which is the whole point of playing. However, play presupposes work and looks forward to more work. Play is therefore not the cure for boredom, but rather leisure and work. Play for the sake of playing can kill.

LOL I probably should have not posted those pics on imgur, but meh.

On another note I think what constitutes leisure and play for some would be the reverse for others, and it really depends on one's state of life, talents, and interests. Also, the delineation between leisure and play may not be so clear.