I’ve discovered that living a joyful life requires a balance of responsibility and fun.
Many of us are out of balance with too much responsibility and not enough fun.
Clients continually come to me not knowing how to add fun to their lives and thinking they lack time for it.
Their brains have been so conditioned to live in a state of busyness, stress, and overwhelm that they are unaware of other options.
The goal is to change course and live a productive, joyful life of peace and ease.
I’m here to tell you it’s possible.
I’ve done it, and so have my clients.
Here’s a tool to help you change course and start on a path to joy and peace.
Ask yourself, what do I want to do just for fun?
For some, this is harder than it sounds.
If your brain is programmed to work, work, work, it takes a little de-programming.
I know it did for me.
So get a pen and paper and write a list of 25 things you would love to do just for fun.
I call these joy goals.
No work, no professional or personal development, just fun, because you deserve some downtime and some joy.
Again, this might feel uncomfortable at first.
When I first did this, my brain kept arguing with me by saying, but I like to work.
And that’s true but remember we’re creating balance.
And you can even argue back that having fun helps you to be more productive, because it does.
If you’re having trouble I’ll share a few of mine to get you started.
I ‘d love to:
Go for a walk in nature.
Read fiction.
Make a list of places I want to go on vacation.
Research those places.
Go somewhere to listen to live music.
Sit in the sun and daydream.
Watch a favorite movie or TV show.
Go to the pool.
Repot some house plants.
Create a wall of framed photos that I’m calling my joy wall.
Call a friend.
Shop at Home Goods.
Take my kids out to eat.
Redecorate a room.
Plan a party.
Meet a friend for lunch or a walk.
Plan a romantic date with my husband.
Meditate/pray.
These are a few things I’d like to do just because I enjoy them.
Not because I have to but because I want to.
And also things that my brain tells me I don’t have time for.
Joy goals retrain your brain to slow down, be present, have fun, and enjoy life.
More importantly, intentionally having fun creates trust with yourself.
Imagine if you only related to a child by giving them orders to work.
After a while they wouldn’t like being around you.
And they might be a little oppositional to what you want them to do.
But if you balance responsibility with fun and connection they might be more willing to work with you.
They trust you.
They know you’re gonna take good care of them.
You need to take good care of you too.
Spend some time with you.
Discover what you like, what you want, what feels like fun, relaxation, and rejuvation.
You’re worth it.
And when you feel better you do better and when you do better you have a better life.
I’ve never heard of anyone on their deathbed saying they wished they’d worked more.
I bet you haven’t either.
My hope is for all of us is to live a life of more peace and ease so that it spreads into the world making it a better place for all.
You can do your part today by creating some joy goals for yourself.