Focus On The Joy
By Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach
It's the Holiday Season --A new year is just around
the corner! I'll bet you're already thinking about
how you'd like next year to be a little different than
the last, right? (yes, I see hands raising!)
But instead of thinking of performance, and
efficiency, and control, I'd like you to take this
opportunity to think about how many things in your
daily life do you do "just for the joy of it"?
What I'm talking about here is value-based
happiness (as opposed to temporary happiness).
Value-based happiness refers to the general feeling
of well being that you experience when you are
doing what you perceive to be meaningful --when
it's something that's important to you.
When you do things for the Joy of It, you'll rise
above problems, and move easier through life.
When you love what you do, you naturally become
more efficient. Make sense?
Value Based happiness is a by product from living a
life Focused on the Joy. It is the by product of doing
things not for what you get in return, not because
you "should" or "have-to", but because you WANT
to, because they are a part of your highest goals, and
what you value. Value based happiness comes from
looking at things with your heart, not just your eyes.
You create value based happiness by Focusing on
the Joy of life, instead of racing to the next feel-good
thrill.
So how do you Focus on the Joy?
Usually when you're expressing your values, when
you're expressing what's important to you, and
living out your highest goals, you'll feel joy. So
you're giving to others at virtually no cost to you.
When YOU experience joy, others around you feel it
too.
With that in mind, what if I told you to throw out all
your ideas about control, effectiveness, and goals?
Instead ---
Focus On Learning. Instead of making a
goal to achieve more in your job, decide
instead to read and learn how to do one new
thing each week.
Focus on Time. Schedule your time to include
what's important to you, like reading time, or
exercise time, or family time, or learning time.
Focus on the Why. Instead of just forcing
yourself to mop the kitchen floor, tap into the
higher goal that mopping the kitchen floor
supports (having a clean and healthy home).
How does that feel? Not bad, huh! If you focus on
the pleasure that a desire gives you, you'll find it
easier to put in the work that it takes. (One author
gives the example of giving blood - while the
experience itself may be less than pleasant, the joy
comes in knowing 'why' you're doing it.)
And I absolutely guarantee that you will achieve
more, maintain your efforts, and have a much better
journey along the way.
Over the next 12 months, instead of focusing on the
effort, FOCUS ON THE JOY.
Focus on the people
and things that are most important to you.
Focus on
the pleasure you get out of moving towards your
goals.
Focus on the process of creating something,
not what results you expect.
Invest in yourself more than you ever thought was
allowed.
Not only will you reap rewards, but those
around you will benefit more than you ever believed.

Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, is the author of
several E-books and Coaching Programs designed to help
people solve Real Life Challenges, and live Happier, Easier,
Better Lives. See her books and programs online at www.reallifecoach.com.
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