God said:
Did you grow up hearing dutiful refrains running through your ears, such as:
"First eat your vegetables. Then, after, have your dessert. Not before."
"Get your work done first. Then you can go out and play."
"Frivolity is frivolous. Idle hands get you into trouble."
"Hold on to your money. Don't waste your time nor money on foolishness."
Did you grow up with the idea that joy best comes later? Did you grow up with the idea that joy of all kinds is to be denied you until a vague later time yet to be announced? When exactly you don't know. Just later some time. And so your joy has been pinched, and you may still restrict joy until some day, and some day may never come.
My children are not meant to be in harness and trudge along heavy-footed. Be light of heart and light of foot. May joy be your password into work or play. Why not?
It's possible that children have the right idea. Joy first. Joy is a forerunner to everything. Restricting yourself may take away joy and sadden your dreams.
Instruct yourself in the idea that joy is your winning number. Deferring joy is not a virtue.
The difficulty with being heavy-handed about life is that you get stuck in seriousness. Sometimes it seems that you believe too much in the concept that, before you can have joy, you have to suffer. The idea has been expressed that you must suffer before you can be beautiful.