The Upside of the Downside
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Awhile back I heard another creator use a phrase I’d never heard before. Someone asked him whether a project he’d been working on was fun, and he said “Ehh… it’s Type 2 Fun.” I wasn’t familiar with the term, so I did some Googling. It turns out, not all fun is created equal. In fact, there are three types of fun: Type 1 Fun is enjoyable in the moment, and it’s also enjoyable in retrospect. Think hanging out with your friends, taking a peaceful stroll through a park, or playing your favorite board game. Type 2 Fun is NOT enjoyable in the moment, but it’s enjoyable in hindsight. Think training for an intense competition, learning a new skill, or getting caught in a downpour on your family camping trip and having to hike back to the car soaking wet. Type 3 Fun is neither enjoyable in the moment NOR enjoyable in hindsight, but it makes for a good story. These are unpleasant, dangerous, even near-death experiences like wrecking your mountain bike or taking a hard fall rock climbing. As with many things in life, the sweet spot is in the middle. Type 1 Fun is nice, but it’s easy. Type 3 Fun gives you a good story, but it might kill you. But Type 2 Fun? That’s the good stuff. That’s where you’re challenged and tested and you get to see what you’re actually made of. This week my wife and I are hiking in the Cotswolds in the UK. What was supposed to be a fun adventure to celebrate my 40th birthday has turned into a bit of a mess. When we packed for this trip, the forecast predicted lows in the 60s and highs in the 70s. Instead, we were greeted with a heatwave: 90-plus degree temps in a country that doesn’t believe in air conditioning. Over the last four days, we’ve hiked over 45 miles. We’ve fought dehydration and exhaustion and sunburn and hunger. Every morning we start out upbeat and excited, but by the time we drag our sorry selves into the village each night, we’ve gone nonverbal. Yesterday, as we were eating a 3pm lunch of chips and cider because the only restaurant in town closed their kitchen at 2 (and there were no other places to eat along the way), Lindsay said “I know this kinda sucks now, but I bet we’ll remember this trip more than any of the fun, easy trips we’ve taken.” I agree. Not only that, but I think we’ve learned more on this trip, too. We’ve learned to anticipate each other’s needs better and communicate more effectively. We’ve learned to pace ourselves and plan ahead. But we’ve also learned that we’re capable of more than we thought: that we can survive walking 10+ miles a day in a British heatwave with no AC and live to tell the tale. It’s funny, because if I’d had the choice I would’ve opted for the weather we packed for. And while that trip would’ve probably been Type 1 Fun, I don’t think it would’ve been nearly as memorable. It turns out, the story is in the struggle. So here’s the question of the week: What struggle are you currently avoiding, and what story might be on the other side? Happy Friday, friends. Make it a good one. -Kyle |
Kyle Scheele
One useful idea about creative leadership, once a week
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