Guest Post by Molly Mahoney
Ah, Life.
It’s hard. We are pulled in 5 million directions at all times. Expected to be super heros. We see absolute CRAZINESS on the news and sometimes wonder what the heck is happening in this world. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed and out of whack. Add the thought of running a business to that and – WHAT!? In. San. I. Ty.
As a mom of 2 young boys and the owner of my own performance coaching business, there is one habit that has FORCED me to rise above the crazy of it all. (Well, aside from canceling cable, but that is a whole different story.)
This habit has not only become the center of my life, it’s become the center of my business. I have made it very clear to my clients and my friends that I have ONE GOAL. ONE MISSION. And that is, to spread joy. In all that I do. And, encouraging others to join me in this habit has allowed them to adopt it as a new mission as well.
This daily ritual is, a Joy Journal. It started as a routine that my grandma and I kept, we would email each other our daily joy. Even at the end of a bummer day, we’d be sure to find at least ONE thing that brought us joy. It was a way of celebrating the goodness and uplifting each other as we went on our way.
This is not a new concept. The idea is that you keep a journal near your bed and you force yourself to write down the top joys from your day. Seemingly easy, right? NOPE! It’s not a new concept, but it is easily overlooked. The to-dos and the what-ifs and the I-should-uvs are tempting. They are powerful and have the ability to take hold of our thoughts. Or, we are just too plumb tired to actually pick up a pen. And then all of a sudden we’ve let days slip away. We’ve left our joys floating in the wind.
We often need to be reminded of the serious benefits we will receive by really committing to recording our daily joys and even sharing them with others.
Here are just a few of the benefits of a keeping a daily Joy Journal. (Seven to be exact.)
- Clearer Focus on What Matters – Often, when asked to come up with an image of what their dream life or business would be. My students and clients get stuck. They feel overwhelmed by the possibility of having whatever they want, because they can’t even identify it. Recording your joys will help you to identify what truly matters to you, and then you can focus on just that!
- Improved Personal Relationships – I really shouldn’t have to explain this one. But, the more joy you bring into your own life, the more joy you’ll bring to others. AND, as you identify and connect with what brings you joy, you’ll able to bring what matters to your personal relationships as well.
- Improved Career Relationships – A truly successful business is all about the connections and relationships you make with others. Whether they are clients, champions, or partners. The connections you nurture with these people are the roots of your business that anchor you as you grow. The more you are able to bring joy to those connections the deeper those connections will grow. Strengthening your business roots.
- A Health Boost – If you do this right before bed, you’ll sleep better because you’ll have all of the good to focus on, rather than worrying or trying to re-do. And, you’ll focus on your joy throughout the day because you’ll want to remember what to record.
- Clearer Hindsight – Guess What? Hindsight is NOT 20/20. We have the ability to twist and turn things. However if we record the positives right away we can go back to those days and remind ourselves of the GOOD. So, maybe you had a bugger of a fender bender on January 4th. BUT you also had a really yummy glass of cab and a great chat with your partner/friend. Which memory would you rather allow to fill your head and heart.
- A Keen Sense of Your Power – I know this might seem crazy, but – YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. I recently heard Todd Herman say something that has totally reframed my way of thinking. He said, “You don’t have a problem. You have a choice.” Each new moment in your journey is simply a choice. You get to choose how you handle every situation that you are presented with.
- Paula Abdul Wasn’t Quite Right – There might be some truth to the idea that Opposites Attract (I loved that music video when I was a kid) but when it comes to energy, you will attract what you put out. AND, you can CHOOSE to bring more goodness into your life, by spreading joy.
I invite you to join me in a challenge. Let’s commit to spreading joy! Just recently, I’ve not only committed to spreading joy in my own personal Joy Journal, I’ve also started spreading joy via my social media posts. I’m going to be sharing one joy each day with the hashtag #joyjournal365 or the website www.JoyJournal365.com A collective Joy Journal! Let’s celebrate the good and lift each other as we climb!
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Molly Mahoney is a vocal performance/creative career coach, and owner of The Prepared Performer. She loves sharing all that she learned as a performer in NYC, on Cruise Ships and in Las Vegas in order to help her students and clients attack their goals with clarity, confidence and joy. And, she’s obsessed with Curing the Starving Artist Syndrome via www.StarvingArtistSyndrome.com. When not sharing her passion for creating, she loves cuddling her 4 and 2 year old boys and singing with her bass playing husband. www.JazzinOrangeCounty.com Get a free boost of confidence at www.ThePreparedPerformer.com/confidencetoday or www.JoyJournal365.com
