Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Nurturing joy requires making deliberate, daily decisions. Moreover, it involves recognizing and cherishing the small, ordinary elements contributing to your overall well-being and contentment. You can ignite a sense of inner joy by actively engaging in moments that uplift and inspire you. Now, let’s explore some steps you can take to foster greater joy in both your personal and professional life.
Cultivating Joy in Your Personal Life
Build a Support Network
Choose wisely who you allow in your inner circle. The people you surround yourself with will impact you as a person. Therefore, if you strive to become a compassionate, confident, and knowledgeable leader, building a network of people who value and possess these qualities and experiences is crucial. Additionally, building a support network you can lean on is essential. Consider assembling a diverse group of open-minded individuals with various strengths, backgrounds, and personalities. Doing so lets you learn from one another and broaden your horizons.
Invest in Energy-giving Hobbies and Activities
What makes you feel expansive? Invest in hobbies and activities that give you energy and feed your curiosity and desire to learn more. Sometimes, it’s about trying new experiences, such as a pottery class. Other times, it’s about doing something that scares you – such as bouldering – and experiencing joy from facing your fear and exceeding your expectations. Moreover, there are activities that you already know you love – it can be as simple as taking nature walks during work breaks or preparing your favourite avocado smoothie in the morning.
Set and Communicate Healthy Boundaries
Set boundaries in all areas of your life with others and yourself, so you can claim your time, happiness and joy – without feeling resentful and overwhelmed when other people and commitments cross these boundaries. ‘Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself’ by Nedra Glover Tawwab is an excellent book that talks about the six types of boundaries and how to communicate them clearly so you will experience peace and freedom of being your true self. One key takeaway is that your boundaries are a form of self-care – it keeps you safe and protects you – and improves your relationships with others (and yourself) when you express what you need.
Cultivating Joy in Your Professional Life
Respect Your Colleagues and Avoid Unhealthy Comparison
Work is a large part of our lives, and the people we work with can bring us so much joy. Acknowledge and engage with your colleagues at work, and be genuinely curious to learn more about them! Remember that everyone has a story, so don’t judge their journey or fall into the trap of comparison – it is the thief of joy. We’re all rich in experiences and work hard to get where we are today. Celebrate one another. Build each other.
Focus on Producing Quality Work
Focus on producing quality work, and your efforts will pay off. The results may take time, but your work will prove valuable, and others will notice your work ethic. Be proud of yourself as you tackle each problematic task or project and gain more experience. Always log all the challenges you faced, the skills you developed, and the problems you solved for future job performance reviews, cover letters and interviews. Looking back at the hardships you overcame will bring you joy. After all, you’re more capable than you think you are!
Embrace and Learn from Your Mistakes
It’s okay to mess up at work. Ask for help, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Take note of the constructive criticism you receive from your manager and colleagues, then think of actionable steps to improve the situation. Reflect on:
How did you perform effectively, and where did you encounter challenges?
In retrospect, what alternative approaches could you have taken?
What steps will you take in the future?
What skills do you need to develop or enhance? How can you work on improving these skills both within and outside of your professional responsibilities?
As you contemplate the situation and the errors you’ve made, be kind to yourself – this is an integral aspect of personal development. Finding joy means accepting and embracing your human nature.
Discovering joy is an ongoing journey that can be nurtured through actions and by changing how you see things. Take a moment to reflect on a practical suggestion or lesson related to your personal or professional life that you will apply to your day-to-day existence starting today.
Originally published at TalentEgg.