How many times have you heard these sayings?…
“You can be successful if you work hard enough.” or “Handwork leads to success.”
How do you feel after reading quotes like this? You’re sure to be exhausted or maybe even feeling a bit guilty that you might not be “working hard enough at what you do to reach your success. Sure, if we are to achieve our goals we have to put effort into what we do but the true key to success is to find Joy in What You Do.
Often we approach jobs with fear that we are not doing enough or are not the best at what we do. We might even find ourselves running to keep up with a stressful schedule and at the end of the day wonder what did we accomplish?
How amazing would it be for you if you found a way to ‘laugh all the way to the bank’? To work your business so your outcomes were not only profitable but you were able to have fun in the process? Finding ‘Joy in the Journey’ is finding a way to make your business/career more rewarding for you.
The main questions to ask yourself are:
~What do I love the most about what I do?
~What time of the day am I the most productive or creative? Answering those 2 questions can lead you in the right direction for finding joy in your job.
If you love being with the people then set up your appointments around people. If you are not such a great people person, but need to work with people maybe set up one-on-one appointments, conference calls or individual calls. If you dislike being in the office then hire an assistant to delegate your office work to and plan your schedule for appointments out of the office. An associate of mine built her business around luncheon meetings. She always said “I love to eat lunch out and since I eat lunch every day I always book a business appointment for lunch”. This routine made her days feel wonderful. Another successful woman that I knew always set up a career interview with a prospect at breakfast. She met with them before they went to work at their corporate job. She was a morning person and having an early appoint made her day sensational. It is a known fact that if you are happy at what you are doing you will be more productive. …Certainly more energized!
A short time before I was ready to bring my career to a close I was still in love with what I did. Energized by the joy of working with people. Loving the travel, the lifestyle and the adventures. As I look back on it now I realize the key to success for me was that I had found the joy in the journey. Isn’t it time you create your success and enjoy YOUR joy in the journey?
So how do you bring joy into your workplace? Learn to Make it fun. Make it an adventure.
It is important to keep your eye on the outcome, but also to put Joy into the Journey.
- Delegate everything that you don’t personally have to do for your business; especially that which you do not enjoy doing.
- Play a ‘Reward Game’ with yourself.
When you accomplish something on your To-Do List give yourself a reward. It could be a candy bar or a nail appointment. Something joyful!
One business year-end I realized my unit sales just fell short of qualifying for a top trip award so I took delight in planning and booking a similar trip for me and my family. The trip was such a happy experience and I became the hero to my family.Another time the task at hand was to wrap hundreds of holiday gifts for a business luncheon; we put on the music and out came the Santa hats…we called in some extra Helpers and although we were working all day it seemed like we were having a party. The job was done and a joyful memory was made.
Be creative. Approach each day as if it were a special event. Turn a “Challenge” into a “Triumph. Oh! there are so many stories to tell over my long career; stories that were adventures of my business. I can remember one of my top leaders suddenly leaving the business just before she was to host a huge conference meeting. Two days before the scheduled event I realized the responsibility of that meeting was now on me. So I called a friend and invited her to make a road trip with me. We drove 12 hours to the meeting with a car packed with meeting props and training materials. We laughed ‘til we cried all the way there and when we arrived we were in such great humor…. The meeting was a huge success and that challenge was turned into a triumph…. another Joy Moment.
Maybe it’s time for you to; think out of the box or better yet get rid of the box. Think about:
- How can you change up your routine?
- Liven up how you handle your responsibilities?
Some examples might be: If you are frustrated with your results with generating leads then turn it around and have a “NO” contest. See if you can get 50 No’s. Or, maybe you might want to team up with someone; find a partner to work with…. This might be a fun way to keep you on track… a joy to work together.
Ways to Create Joy Moments….
- Change your normal routine into an Outrageous Adventure.
- Give each day a Purpose…
- End each day with a Celebration….
- Laugh at yourself even if at that very moment you don’t think things are funny. Someday that experience will be a funny tale to tell.
- Be Grateful…. Even for the small things; even the detours on your way to success.
‘Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself:
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.
I can choose which it shall be.
Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet.
I have just one day, today and I’m going to be happy in it.”
– Groucho Marx
Thank you Barbara! My mother and I had this very conversation yesterday about finding joy. I appreciate your words of wisdom very much.