Make it a challenge

Turn a constraint into something more fun

When I’m in a hotel room, I like to watch those shows on HGTV or the DIY network where someone must decorate a room with almost no time or money. Next thing you know there’s an end table composed of old suitcases, the sofa has been made eye-catching with a slip cover dyed deep purple, and there’s a mural made of plastic silverware repurposed from take out orders.

In short: constraints nudge creativity. When people have to stay within tight rules, they often come up with interesting solutions and have some fun at the same time.

So if you’re facing some sort of constraint in your life, why not adopt the same mindset? It just might make an inconvenience slightly less terrible.

Life happens

I have no doubt you can rattle off a list of constraints you’ve experienced this year.

Perhaps your fridge went out, and you had to wait days for the part that was needed because of shipping delays.

Or maybe you wanted to upgrade your work-from-home setup, but you couldn’t spend a lot of money.

You hoped to travel over the holidays, but work schedules kept changing until it felt too late to make plans.

These are all far from ideal situations, but trying to view them as challenges can open up new ways of thinking.

For instance, without a working fridge, you might see how many delicious “pantry meals” you could make, or you could imagine you’re testing out meals for your next camping trip.

If you’ve got a meager home office budget, you might imagine yourself as a contestant on one of those makeover shows. Repurpose furniture from elsewhere in your house. Ask for castoffs from friends. Buy a few cheap accessories and voila! You could document your “decorating challenge” on social media, and maybe even ask your followers to vote on options, if that would make it seem more exciting.

And as for last minute vacation plans, you might challenge yourself to design an itinerary for a VIP coming to visit your neck of the woods. What would you have them see and experience? Then you can follow this awesome set of plans yourself.

Constraints create possibilities

Nobody plays tennis or volleyball without a net. The fun in lots of games comes from the need to beat the clock. Boundaries fuel strategy, innovation, and performance.

In real life, constraints aren’t all fun and games. But if we can reframe constraints as challenges, we’ll feel energized to find solutions, rather than just give in to disappointment. And hey, we might wind up with some cool new throw pillows too.