Bigg Successinterests | Bigg Success http://biggsuccess.com Life On Your Own Terms Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 2006-2011 bigginfo@biggsuccess.com (Bigg Success) bigginfo@biggsuccess.com (Bigg Success) posts 1440 Life On Your Own Terms Bigg Success Bigg Success bigginfo@biggsuccess.com No no http://biggsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Showlogo-144_144.jpg Bigg Success http://biggsuccess.com 144 144 Can Social Networking Help You Live Longer http://biggsuccess.com/2009/07/31/can-social-networking-help-you-live-longer/ http://biggsuccess.com/2009/07/31/can-social-networking-help-you-live-longer/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:00:15 +0000 George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster http://biggsuccess.com/?p=1888 facebookResearchers have observed an effect on longevity in families. Specifically, children of parents who lived 100 years or more tend to live longer too.

A recent study at the Boston University School of Medicine explored possible reasons for this. Is it just in the genes or do these people possess qualities that help them live longer?

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___

They found that, among other things, children of centenarians are very social. They build friendships. They feel that their friends serve as safety nets in times of need.

A while back, a group of Australian researchers at Flinders University found that people with strong friendship networks were more likely to live longer. They divided the group into thirds based on the number of friends in their network. They discovered that people in the top third of friends were 22% less likely to pass away before the decade-long study concluded than people in the lowest third.

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Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success.
Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly – it’s FREE!

___

So we wonder: Will we live longer thanks to online social networking?

Obviously, these researchers aren’t studying online social networks. When they talk about social networks, they’re talking about our physical network of friends. However, given this research, we think active online networkers may fare pretty well for these four reasons:

  • Thanks to online social networks, we connect more often these days than we did before they existed. It’s just easier to keep up with friends.
  • We also connect with more people. Because the communication is concise and streaming, it’s easier to make new friends and keep up with them.
  • We connect with a more diverse group of people. It’s so interesting to learn about all the different interests people have. There’s such an array online. Research has shown that brain activity helps reduce the likelihood of dementia as well. It’s amazing how much you can learn from your online friends. And offline too, for that matter!
  • We connect with people who are more geographically dispersed. We learn about new cultures and new things. Once again, it’s all mind-expanding and that’s a good thing.

So when we’re old and gray, we’ll still be actively involved in social networking. In fact, count us in for the golden tweetup!

Do you think that people who are active social networkers will be more likely to live longer?

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Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00450-073109.mp3

Related posts

25 Ways to Meet People and Build Your Personal Brand

Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We’re All Missing Out On

Do You Make Your Friends Happy?

Reach Out and Touch Someone

(Image in today's post by basykes,CC 2.0)

]]> http://biggsuccess.com/2009/07/31/can-social-networking-help-you-live-longer/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Researchers have observed an effect on longevity in families. Specifically, children of parents who lived 100 years or more tend to live longer too. A ... Researchers have observed an effect on longevity in families. Specifically, children of parents who lived 100 years or more tend to live longer too. A recent study at the Boston University School of Medicine explored possible reasons for this. Is it just in the genes or do these people possess qualities that help them live longer? ___ ___ They found that, among other things, children of centenarians are very social. They build friendships. They feel that their friends serve as safety nets in times of need. A while back, a group of Australian researchers at Flinders University found that people with strong friendship networks were more likely to live longer. They divided the group into thirds based on the number of friends in their network. They discovered that people in the top third of friends were 22% less likely to pass away before the decade-long study concluded than people in the lowest third. ___ Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success. Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly #8211; it#8217;s FREE! ___ So we wonder: Will we live longer thanks to online social networking? Obviously, these researchers aren#8217;t studying online social networks. When they talk about social networks, they#8217;re talking about our physical network of friends. However, given this research, we think active online networkers may fare pretty well for these four reasons: Thanks to online social networks, we connect more often these days than we did before they existed. It#8217;s just easier to keep up with friends. We also connect with more people. Because the communication is concise and streaming, it#8217;s easier to make new friends and keep up with them. We connect with a more diverse group of people. It#8217;s so interesting to learn about all the different interests people have. There#8217;s such an array online. Research has shown that brain activity helps reduce the likelihood of dementia as well. It#8217;s amazing how much you can learn from your online friends. And offline too, for that matter! We connect with people who are more geographically dispersed. We learn about new cultures and new things. Once again, it#8217;s all mind-expanding and that#8217;s a good thing. So when we#8217;re old and gray, we#8217;ll still be actively involved in social networking. In fact, count us in for the golden tweetup! Do you think that people who are active social networkers will be more likely to live longer? Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.#160; Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file: http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00450-073109.mp3 Related posts 25 Ways to Meet People and Build Your Personal Brand Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We#8217;re All Missing Out On Do You Make Your Friends Happy? Reach Out and Touch Someone (Image in today#39;s post by basykes,CC 2.0) Networking bigginfo@biggsuccess.com no No Learn to Play to Learn http://biggsuccess.com/2009/04/21/learn-to-play-to-learn/ http://biggsuccess.com/2009/04/21/learn-to-play-to-learn/#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:00:35 +0000 George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster http://biggsuccess.com/?p=1706 playing.jpg We recently did a show on the tradeoff between work and play. We said that it was important to make time for both productive play and pure play – things you do just for fun. We said it really is true – we do seem to get more done when we’re busy.

Ryan left a great comment on that topic. He’s one of our regulars and he often leaves comments. We love the feedback!

___

___

Pre-paying for play plans improves productivity

He said that he’s learned that it’s good to keep busy with his downtime. So he goes to a sporting event or a concert just about every week. Because he’s paid for the ticket in advance, he feels compelled to go. That’s his secret – it forces him to work more efficiently to get his work done.

___

georgeI had never thought of that little trick! We schedule fun activities of course. But I had never thought about purposefully and routinely scheduling an activity that I paid for in advance as a way to ramp up my time at work.

___

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marylynnIt’s a great suggestion. It’s easy to get so busy working that I fail to recharge myself by doing something that gets my mind off of work. By committing my money, I’m more likely to commit my time!

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georgeI’m one of those people who can go and go and go. But at some point, my body and my mind start saying, “Enough already! What are you doing to us? We need a break!” Ryan’s suggestion helps make sure that doesn’t happen.

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marylynnFortunately, and maybe unfortunately, George and I are very similar in that respect. I’m a bit of a workaholic myself. So we work very well together. But I agree – it would be helpful to schedule more time for fun knowing that I’ll be more productive at work.

___

It’s about living with purpose on purpose. After all, we’re only human. We should live on human time! Plan something fun and pay for it in advance. You’ll be more likely to do it!

Ramp up your downtime

Ryan also said that when he was in college, he got better grades when he took eighteen credit hours than when he only had twelve in a semester. His personal observation sparked a thought for us …

… we should always be a student!

It pays bigg dividends to be curious about everything with which you come in contact, not just your area of expertise.

Since Ryan brought up sporting events, you can learn from studying the players – when they’re warming up, idle, in the middle of a play, or when the game’s on the line.

___

georgeThis is something I do. It’s interesting to see the differences among players when the game’s on the line. I’ve learned a lot about operating under pressure by watching sports.

___

___

marylynnAt concerts, there are a lot of details. The artist’s stage presence, the lighting, the way musicians play together, and even their hair! If it’s a symphony, study the conductor and how he or she leads. They’re masters of their craft and we can learn lessons that we can apply to our crafts.

___

___

georgeOne of my favorite things to do is to be a student when I’m talking to people in social settings. I can read a book or an article, but there’s nothing like learning about someone’s occupation and interests first-hand. You get to ask questions and go deeper into a subject with a real person who is living it.

___

___

marylynnWe have a friend who made a great suggestion that has forever changed how I watch movies. He said to think of yourself as a director. When the movie is over, ask yourself what you would have done differently. It gets my creative juices flowing and makes for great conversation afterwards.

___

Always be a student. It helps keep your mind young. It expands your imagination. It will help you reach bigg success even faster!

Of what are you a student in your downtime?

Share that with us by leaving a comment below, calling us at 888.455.BIGG or sending us an e-mail at bigginfo@biggsuccess.com.

Thanks Ryan for your thought-provoking comment. And thank you for reading our post today.

___

Would you like more tips and tools to live your life on your own terms?
Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly – it’s FREE!

___

Please join us next time when we talk about how to get to the greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes. 

Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed.

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00377-042109.mp3

Related posts

Mixing Work and Play

Taking Time Off to Get More Done

Why Work Life Balance Doesn’t Work

(Image in today's post by davdibiase)

]]> http://biggsuccess.com/2009/04/21/learn-to-play-to-learn/feed/ 2 00:01:01 We recently did a show on the tradeoff between work and play. We said that it was important to make time for both productive ... We recently did a show on the tradeoff between work and play. We said that it was important to make time for both productive play and pure play #8211; things you do just for fun. We said it really is true #8211; we do seem to get more done when we#8217;re busy. Ryan left a great comment on that topic. He#8217;s one of our regulars and he often leaves comments. We love the feedback! ___ ___ Pre-paying for play plans improves productivity He said that he#8217;s learned that it#8217;s good to keep busy with his downtime. So he goes to a sporting event or a concert just about every week. Because he#8217;s paid for the ticket in advance, he feels compelled to go. That#8217;s his secret #8211; it forces him to work more efficiently to get his work done. ___ I had never thought of that little trick! We schedule fun activities of course. But I had never thought about purposefully and routinely scheduling an activity that I paid for in advance as a way to ramp up my time at work. ___ ___ It#8217;s a great suggestion. It#8217;s easy to get so busy working that I fail to recharge myself by doing something that gets my mind off of work. By committing my money, I#8217;m more likely to commit my time! ___ ___ I#8217;m one of those people who can go and go and go. But at some point, my body and my mind start saying, #8220;Enough already! What are you doing to us? We need a break!#8221; Ryan#8217;s suggestion helps make sure that doesn#8217;t happen. ___ ___ Fortunately, and maybe unfortunately, George and I are very similar in that respect. I#8217;m a bit of a workaholic myself. So we work very well together. But I agree #8211; it would be helpful to schedule more time for fun knowing that I#8217;ll be more productive at work. ___ It#8217;s about living with purpose on purpose. After all, we#8217;re only human. We should live on human time! Plan something fun and pay for it in advance. You#8217;ll be more likely to do it! Ramp up your downtime Ryan also said that when he was in college, he got better grades when he took eighteen credit hours than when he only had twelve in a semester. His personal observation sparked a thought for us ... ... we should always be a student! It pays bigg dividends to be curious about everything with which you come in contact, not just your area of expertise. Since Ryan brought up sporting events, you can learn from studying the players #8211; when they#8217;re warming up, idle, in the middle of a play, or when the game#8217;s on the line. ___ This is something I do. It#8217;s interesting to see the differences among players when the game#8217;s on the line. I#8217;ve learned a lot about operating under pressure by watching sports. ___ ___ At concerts, there are a lot of details. The artist#8217;s stage presence, the lighting, the way musicians play together, and even their hair! If it#8217;s a symphony, study the conductor and how he or she leads. They#8217;re masters of their craft and we can learn lessons that we can apply to our crafts. ___ ___ One of my favorite things to do is to be a student when I#8217;m talking to people in social settings. I can read a book or an article, but there#8217;s nothing like learning about someone#8217;s occupation and interests first-hand. You get to ask questions and go deeper into a subject with a real person who is living it. ___ ___ We have a friend who made a great suggestion that has forever changed how I watch movies. He said to think of yourself as a director. When the movie is over, ask yourself what you would have done differently. It gets my creative juices flowing and makes for great conversation afterwards. ___ Always be a student. It helps keep your mind young. It expands your imagination. It will help you reach bigg success even faster! Of what are you a student in your downtime? Share that with us by leaving a comment below, calling us at 888.455.BIGG or sending us an e-mail at bigginfo@biggsuccess.com. Thanks Ryan for your Money,,Time,Management bigginfo@biggsuccess.com no No The Happiness Battle of the Sexes http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/17/the-happiness-battle-of-the-sexes/ http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/17/the-happiness-battle-of-the-sexes/#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:30:03 +0000 George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster http://biggsuccess.com/?p=1318 happy
What makes you happy?

We now know what makes our Australian friends happy thanks to a recent study by The Leading Edge, a marketing consulting firm, based in Sydney.

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It’s interesting to look at the similarities and differences between men and women.

Entertainment was the #1 choice for men and the #2 selection for women. Rest and recreation was the opposite – women selected it as #1 and men said it was #2.

One bigg difference was where they ranked sex. Women would rather enjoy a family meal, play with their children, or even play with their pets, than have sex according to the study.

But before you guys snicker too much – more men would rather surf the internet than make love! Read the study … we’re not making this up!

In fact, surfing the net ranked #3 with men, but barely made the list at #10 for women. This was the single biggest disparity in the top 10 list between men and women – followed by sex, which was #5 for men and #9 for women.  

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marylynn
I wonder … if men spent less time surfing the net, would their women be more interested in sex?

___

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georgeWell, maybe the women should pay less attention to their pet and more attention to their man!

___

Both sexes agreed on the joy of spending quality time with their partner. It ranked #4 on both lists. Ah … isn’t that sweet?

Only thirty percent of the women ranked shopping as the single activity that made them the happiest, which was lower than the researchers expected. Of course, men ranked shopping far down on their list, living up to expectations.

The conclusion from this research, as you look at the full list of responses by men and women, is that happiness is not about acquiring material goods or even accomplishments. It comes from good relationships and great experiences.

Your own survey

As we carve out our time for play, it’s important to set aside time for just you, for just your spouse, and for your immediate family. Of course, you’ll also plan to spend time with friends and your extended family from time to time.

As we talked about this survey in Australia, we realized that it would be good to conduct our own survey of our own loved ones. Ask your spouse what makes him or her happy. Ask your kids what they would think would be fun.

Then compare notes and develop an activity plan to make sure that everyone in your family is getting their share of chosen activities.

The best recipe for bigg fun is creating great experiences with the ones you love. 

___

Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success!
Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly – it’s FREE!

___

We’ve heard a lot of talk recently about toxic assets. Next time, we’ll discuss toxic debt. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes. 

Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed.

Related posts

Two Proven Keys to Happiness

Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We’re All Missing Out On

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00245-101708.mp3

(Image by ohsuzicue)

]]> http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/17/the-happiness-battle-of-the-sexes/feed/ 2 00:01:01 What makes you happy? We now know what makes our Australian friends happy thanks to a recent study by The Leading Edge, a marketing ... What makes you happy? We now know what makes our Australian friends happy thanks to a recent study by The Leading Edge, a marketing consulting firm, based in Sydney. ___ ___ It#8217;s interesting to look at the similarities and differences between men and women. Entertainment was the #1 choice for men and the #2 selection for women. Rest and recreation was the opposite #8211; women selected it as #1 and men said it was #2. One bigg difference was where they ranked sex. Women would rather enjoy a family meal, play with their children, or even play with their pets, than have sex according to the study. But before you guys snicker too much #8211; more men would rather surf the internet than make love! Read the study ... we#8217;re not making this up! In fact, surfing the net ranked #3 with men, but barely made the list at #10 for women. This was the single biggest disparity in the top 10 list between men and women #8211; followed by sex, which was #5 for men and #9 for women.#160;#160; ___ I wonder ... if men spent less time surfing the net, would their women be more interested in sex? ___ ___ Well, maybe the women should pay less attention to their pet and more attention to their man! ___ Both sexes agreed on the joy of spending quality time with their partner. It ranked #4 on both lists. Ah ... isn#8217;t that sweet? Only thirty percent of the women ranked shopping as the single activity that made them the happiest, which was lower than the researchers expected. Of course, men ranked shopping far down on their list, living up to expectations. The conclusion from this research, as you look at the full list of responses by men and women, is that happiness is not about acquiring material goods or even accomplishments. It comes from good relationships and great experiences. Your own survey As we carve out our time for play, it#8217;s important to set aside time for just you, for just your spouse, and for your immediate family. Of course, you#8217;ll also plan to spend time with friends and your extended family from time to time. As we talked about this survey in Australia, we realized that it would be good to conduct our own survey of our own loved ones. Ask your spouse what makes him or her happy. Ask your kids what they would think would be fun. Then compare notes and develop an activity plan to make sure that everyone in your family is getting their share of chosen activities. The best recipe for bigg fun is creating great experiences with the ones you love.#160; ___ Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success! Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly #8211; it#8217;s FREE! ___ We#8217;ve heard a lot of talk recently about toxic assets. Next time, we#8217;ll discuss toxic debt. Until then, here#8217;s to your bigg success! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.#160; Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Related posts Two Proven Keys to Happiness Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We#8217;re All Missing Out On Reach Out and Touch Someone Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file: http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00245-101708.mp3 (Image by ohsuzicue) Relationships bigginfo@biggsuccess.com no No Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We’re All Missing Out On http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/10/little-adults-bigg-kids-what-were-all-missing-out-on/ http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/10/little-adults-bigg-kids-what-were-all-missing-out-on/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:30:47 +0000 George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster http://biggsuccess.com/?p=1307 playground We recently read a great post by Dr. Robyn Silvermen about treating kids like little adults. She offers a lot of great links to research and other articles about this increasing trend.

 

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The calendars of kids today are as busy as ours. Between school and all their extracurricular activities, they’re too busy to really play.

___

georgeI saw an interview with a little girl awhile back. She was brilliant, doing well in school and excelling at everything she did. Her one wish was that she could just have some time to play.

___

Isn’t that sad?

Play pays

Don’t get us wrong – extracurricular activities are great, but it’s good to also have time to engage in activities that don’t have a goal with performance stress attached.

It’s good for kids to just play. It’s good for them physically, socially, and mentally. Play helps them develop their imagination and creativity as well as socially – all important skills in the years ahead.

Turning back the clock

Dr. Robyn cites a growing trend of kids having fitness club memberships. How many of us just love going to the gym? Do you remember playing … just good old fashioned play?  It was fun. Something you couldn’t wait to do. You got some great exercise, but you didn’t watch the clock like you do when you’re working out at the club. 

Speaking of clocks, the sad part is that we seem to be turning back the clock. Dr. Robyn’s article includes a quote that says kids are about two years behind in their development compared to sixty years ago. It seems we’re not evolving; we’re going backwards.

We need to do a 180

So let’s let the kids be kids. In fact, let’s take it a step further. Let’s do a 180 degree turn – instead of trying to turn kids into little adults, let’s become bigg kids.

Not in an immature way … just for fun and all the benefits that come with it.

We need to be more child-like. Do you remember being fascinated by bugs? Of course, we’re not talking about bugs inside the house. But isn’t it fascinating to just watch a praying mantis? How relaxing is it to see butterflies fluttering around?

___

marylynnThat’s one of the reasons I love going for walks. I just love seeing all the cool plants. There’s a lake close to our house so I can watch the fish. It sure beats going to the fitness center and watching TV!

___

We get so busy working that we don’t have a second to spare. Sometimes we even block people out so we can get all of our work done. That’s when play time is especially important. Play time is social time. You can relax and talk with people.

And you learn … things that you might not learn any other way. Because other people have different interests. By playing – socializing – you expand our interests. That helps you look at old problems in new ways. You find solutions that you may not find if you don’t get out of your routine.

Play expands our imaginations. Our imagination leads us to be more creative, more innovative. Which is how we find those bigg ideas that lead to bigg success!

___

Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success!
Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly – it’s FREE!

___

Next time, we’ll take on Washington and Wall Street. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes. 

Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed.

Related posts

A Wii Bit of Fun

Backyard Bliss

(Image by mommyof9)

]]> http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/10/little-adults-bigg-kids-what-were-all-missing-out-on/feed/ 5 00:01:01 We recently read a great post by Dr. Robyn Silvermen about treating kids like little adults. She offers a lot of great links to ... We recently read a great post by Dr. Robyn Silvermen about treating kids like little adults. She offers a lot of great links to research and other articles about this increasing trend. #160; ___ The calendars of kids today are as busy as ours. Between school and all their extracurricular activities, they#8217;re too busy to really play. ___ I saw an interview with a little girl awhile back. She was brilliant, doing well in school and excelling at everything she did. Her one wish was that she could just have some time to play. ___ Isn#8217;t that sad? Play pays Don#8217;t get us wrong #8211; extracurricular activities are great, but it#8217;s good to also have time to engage in activities that don#8217;t have a goal with performance stress attached. It#8217;s good for kids to just play. It#8217;s good for them physically, socially, and mentally. Play helps them develop their imagination and creativity as well as socially #8211; all important skills in the years ahead. Turning back the clock Dr. Robyn cites a growing trend of kids having fitness club memberships. How many of us just love going to the gym? Do you remember playing ... just good old fashioned play?#160; It was fun. Something you couldn#8217;t wait to do. You got some great exercise, but you didn#8217;t watch the clock like you do when you#8217;re working out at the club.#160; Speaking of clocks, the sad part is that we seem to be turning back the clock. Dr. Robyn#8217;s article includes a quote that says kids are about two years behind in their development compared to sixty years ago. It seems we#8217;re not evolving; we#8217;re going backwards. We need to do a 180 So let#8217;s let the kids be kids. In fact, let#8217;s take it a step further. Let#8217;s do a 180 degree turn #8211; instead of trying to turn kids into little adults, let#8217;s become bigg kids. Not in an immature way ... just for fun and all the benefits that come with it. We need to be more child-like. Do you remember being fascinated by bugs? Of course, we#8217;re not talking about bugs inside the house. But isn#8217;t it fascinating to just watch a praying mantis? How relaxing is it to see butterflies fluttering around? ___ That#8217;s one of the reasons I love going for walks. I just love seeing all the cool plants. There#8217;s a lake close to our house so I can watch the fish. It sure beats going to the fitness center and watching TV! ___ We get so busy working that we don#8217;t have a second to spare. Sometimes we even block people out so we can get all of our work done. That#8217;s when play time is especially important. Play time is social time. You can relax and talk with people. And you learn ... things that you might not learn any other way. Because other people have different interests. By playing #8211; socializing #8211; you expand our interests. That helps you look at old problems in new ways. You find solutions that you may not find if you don#8217;t get out of your routine. Play expands our imaginations. Our imagination leads us to be more creative, more innovative. Which is how we find those bigg ideas that lead to bigg success! ___ Get the tips and tools you need to be a BIGG success! Subscribe to the Bigg Success Weekly #8211; it#8217;s FREE! ___ Next time, we#8217;ll take on Washington and Wall Street. Until then, here#8217;s to your bigg success! Subscribe to The Bigg Success Show in iTunes.#160; Subscribe to the Bigg Success feed. Related posts A Wii Bit of Fun Backyard Bliss (Image by mommyof9) Balance bigginfo@biggsuccess.com no No Little Adults, Bigg Kids: What We're All Missing Out On http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/10/little-adults-bigg-kids-what-were-all-missing-out-on-2/ http://biggsuccess.com/2008/10/10/little-adults-bigg-kids-what-were-all-missing-out-on-2/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:30:47 +0000 admin http://biggsuccess.com/?p=1307 playground We recently read a great post by Dr. Robyn Silvermen about treating kids like little adults. She offers a lot of great links to research and other articles about this increasing trend.

 

___

The calendars of kids today are as busy as ours. Between school and all their extracurricular activities, they’re too busy to really play.

___

georgeI saw an interview with a little girl awhile back. She was brilliant, doing well in school and excelling at everything she did. Her one wish was that she could just have some time to play.

___

Isn’t that sad?

Play pays

Don’t get us wrong – extracurricular activities are great, but it’s good to also have time to engage in activities that don’t have a goal with performance stress attached.

It’s good for kids to just play. It’s good for them physically, socially, and mentally. Play helps them develop their imagination and creativity as well as socially – all important skills in the years ahead.

Turning back the clock

Dr. Robyn cites a growing trend of kids having fitness club memberships. How many of us just love going to the gym? Do you remember playing … just good old fashioned play?  It was fun. Something you couldn’t wait to do. You got some great exercise, but you didn’t watch the clock like you do when you’re working out at the club. 

Speaking of clocks, the sad part is that we seem to be turning back the clock. Dr. Robyn’s article includes a quote that says kids are about two years behind in their development compared to sixty years ago. It seems we’re not evolving; we’re going backwards.

We need to do a 180

So let’s let the kids be kids. In fact, let’s take it a step further. Let’s do a 180 degree turn – instead of trying to turn kids into little adults, let’s become bigg kids.

Not in an immature way … just for fun and all the benefits that come with it.

We need to be more child-like. Do you remember being fascinated by bugs? Of course, we’re not talking about bugs inside the house. But isn’t it fascinating to just watch a praying mantis? How relaxing is it to see butterflies fluttering around?

___

marylynnThat’s one of the reasons I love going for walks. I just love seeing all the cool plants. There’s a lake close to our house so I can watch the fish. It sure beats going to the fitness center and watching TV!

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We get so busy working that we don’t have a second to spare. Sometimes we even block people out so we can get all of our work done. That’s when play time is especially important. Play time is social time. You can relax and talk with people.

And you learn … things that you might not learn any other way. Because other people have different interests. By playing – socializing – you expand our interests. That helps you look at old problems in new ways. You find solutions that you may not find if you don’t get out of your routine.

Play expands our imaginations. Our imagination leads us to be more creative, more innovative. Which is how we find those bigg ideas that lead to bigg success!

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Next time, we’ll take on Washington and Wall Street. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

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(Image by mommyof9)

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