Wondering how to create more joy in your life? Then, I have a question for you:
How big is your gap?
I´m talking about the gap between what you have now
…and what it is you truly want more of in your life.
It can be awfully easy to let life „lead the way“ instead of standing up for what you want and going after it…
That´s why the way you answer these 3 key questions is so important.
Not only can they show you the size of the gap between your current reality and the joyful life your heart desires but they can help you figure out the fastest way to close it.
So, grab a piece of paper and take a few minutes to answer these three questions:
If someone followed you around, observing your typical day…
WHAT WOULD THEY SEE?
Would they see you…
- really enjoying your day?
- frustrated and stressed?
- feeling happy, energized and motivated about your life?
- resigned to simply going through the motions?
Now, if someone followed you around, observing your perfect day – a joy-filled day…
WHAT WOULD THEY SEE?
Would they see you…
- enjoying the majority of activities you do in a day?
- distracted and just trying to get by?
- energized and excited about the life you are leading?
- dreaming instead of doing?
Now think for a moment…
If you keep living your typical day for the next 5 years
…where will you be?
In other words, if you keep doing the same things you are doing now – day in and day out – where is life likely to take you?
Will you…
- end up where you want to be?
- be enjoying the ease, balance & joy that you want?
- be enjoying the kinds of relationships that you desire?
- have the career that fills your heart with joy?
- be where you want to be financially?
What have you learned?
Now that you´ve looked at a typical day and your perfect, joy-filled day – how closely are the two aligned?
There´s a lot you can learn by comparing your dream of a joyful life to the life you are currently living.
Your Gap is Small – What does that mean?
After doing the above exercise, you may have found that the gap between your typical day and your perfect, joyful day is small. If that´s the case – Good for you!
If you´ve been telling yourself you´re unhappy or you´re off target, you can change that story. You´re actually doing really well!
Your Gap is Big – What does that mean?
If, after doing the above exercise, you´ve discovered a BIG gap between your perfect, joy-filled day and your current reality, you may be letting circumstance control your life and just doing the things you are expected to do.
This level of self-awareness is only the beginning.
Being aware of your gap is the first step towards making a solid plan, so you can move forward with intention and truly create more joy in your life.
How to Close the Gap
The key to closing the gap is for you to get intentional about what you do each and every day.
To start this process, here´s what you need to do:
Get clear on what joy looks like to you
Having done the exercise here, you already have a great head start on creating more joy in your life based on your thoughts around your current and your perfect, joy-filled days.
Let´s take it a step further…
I want you to focus on what it is you truly want in your life. When you think about creating more joy, ease and balance, how does that look for you?
A crucial step in creating more joy in your life is to have a super clear picture of what that looks like.
Think about every aspect: physical, emotional, spiritual, romantic, financial, and your career goals.
What exactly does joy in these areas look like?
Close your eyes and see yourself living your joyful life 1 year from now…
What exactly will you be doing? How do you feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually? How are you doing financially? What kind of relationships are you enjoying?
And here´s another powerful exercise – write down your dream for a joyful life.
There´s something truly magical about putting your dream on paper and reading through it, each and every day.
Identify Your First Steps
Most people aren´t living the life they truly want because they haven´t taken the time to figure out how to get it. We aren´t all born knowing what our lives will ultimately be like – but that doesn´t mean you can´t take steps to shape life the way you want to live it!
When you think about the steps you need to take, also think about how taking them will change your life.
What do you need to do differently? Where will you make changes? How will taking steps to create more joy, ease and balance in your life benefit you and those closest to you?
Now, think about:
What exactly you need to do to create the joyful life you desire.
Do you need to re-think your work routine to give you more time for the things and people you love? What could you do to put your needs first for a change?
Decide on 3 steps that will get you moving towards creating more joy in your life and write them down now.
Action Time
You have your first 3 steps, now it´s time to move from planning to doing.
After all, nothing happens without action.
So, put those steps in your calendar, get excited and get moving!
Identify any limiting benefits that may be slowing you down and address them. If fear comes knocking, face it square on and do what needs to get done anyway.
Once you´ve completed those first 3 steps, decide on the next 3 and keep on going.
Commit to 3 actions a day or a week and you can´t help but make amazing progress towards the life full of joy, ease and balance you´ve been dreaming of.
It really is that simple.