Fun Friday: My Word of This Year is Play

My word for this year is "play." I select a word each year that helps me focus on self-improvement. In the past, I have had many words designed to inspire me to do more. Before this year started, I decided that I was tired of self-improvement, and I wanted to spend more time on things that I found fun. So, I decided that "play" was my word back at the end of 2023.

As we enter the last quarter of 2024, it is time to start thinking about what I want to be doing this next year. I have enjoyed the focus on finding things that are fun and help me play with things and people. I want to continue this focus, so I will be looking at different words and ideas for what I want to do in 2025.

One of the reasons I chose the word "play" as my focus is professional in nature. I was not feeling happy with how things were going in my music therapy practice. I was feeling creatively blocked at a level that is not my normal. I wanted to find my first love again - doing things with clients that enriched their lives and also mine through association.

I am feeling that fun - most days. Not all days are fun around my work, but I am finding myself doing more composition, more creation, and looking forward to what I want to do next. These things are good for me, and it reinforces some of the decisions I have made recently. I now have more time to myself, so I am working on ways to play that help me fill up some of this time. I wrote two songs yesterday.

I have played a bit with paper and making things for myself and for friends. I actually left my house and went to a crafting morning at a local small business. I would like to do some more of that, but I am budgeting right now as I adjust to less money available each month.

I saw an ad for working at a movie theater earlier, and I was tempted to apply. I have always thought that working in a movie theater would be lots of fun, but I'm not sure I have appropriate availability for that sort of job right now. Eventually, that might be an option for me, but not yet. Something to put on the future possibilities list in my new journal!

Today, however, I am going to make some space for "play" in my life. I am going to play through making tasks for my students to use in their classrooms. I am going to listen to music and strategize my next sessions. I will spend some time with my last group of clients for the week, and then I will document those interactions. After that, I will turn out the lights in the music therapy room and spend time in my storage room rearranging the space to accommodate just me rather than accommodating future interns. For the next 21 months (the time I have left before I retire), my music therapy clinical space is mine and mine alone. This is an interesting concept for me, but I am looking forward to establishing zones for my work. It is time to head out into the world to play.

See you later?


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