I have a two year old running around me and playing games constantly as long as my office door is not locked to get some work done.

In observing him play, I noticed that there are some deep life lessons we can take away from watching a child play.

Lesson 1: Are you playing the right game?

Children are quick to switch games.

They'll switch if they don't find the current one interesting. As soon as a boredom threshold is crossed, they're onto the next. They sure as hell don't slog through playing games they don't want to play.

They let go without hesitation.

Adults need to take note.

While an adult can't change what to work on in rapid succession like children, life is too short to be wasted on work we don't care about. Ask yourself: Are you playing the right game, and if not, what can you do to change things?

Playing the right game is key to unlocking motivation.

Lesson 2: Play the game like it matters.

Children are invested in their world of play.

They get frustrated if they can't stack the blocks. They get angry if the car doesn't fit through the tunnel they made. They throw a tantrum if a toy gets taken away.

They play as if their life depends on it.

In a way, it does depend on it because playing is life to children.

"Playing" is vocabulary that adults use to explain what the child is doing. The child has no regard for whether they are playing, working, living... it's all the same. Humans are designed to be invested in the games they play.

We should do our work in the same exact way that children play their games. This is our natural state: to have some skin in the game, be invested, and do good work. Expect nothing less of yourself.