Cultivating joy
jasonleow • 12 Jan 2022 •
I really liked @practicingdev’s post listing out what he enjoyed doing when working and not working.
Cultivating joy is so underrated, and something I want to do more of. The first step is to be aware of what brings me joy in work and life, so writing it down is a good first step. Knowing them means I can try to repeat them more often. Even better, write down what doesn’t bring me joy. Removing joy inhibitors is also a great way to cultivate joy!
Joy is the ultimate creator.
So here’s my own list, from 2021, for 2022:
✅ Things I enjoy doing for work
Writing code/words at dawn
Starting early at 5am
Getting important sh*t done by late morning
Making friends on Twitter
Learning from smart and great minds on Twitter
Sketching visuals
Creating a delightful experience using my productivity cave
Working from home
❌ Things that don’t give me joy at work
Conducting training
Working outside in cafes
Consulting
✅ Things I enjoy doing in life
Spending time, taking walks with my wife and toddler son
Discovering new places with the fam
Treating my parents to a nice meal out
Feeling well-rested from a great night’s sleep (>90% sleep score)
A well-cooked, medium-done ribeye steak
A home-cooked meal with mum’s broth soups
Running at dawn
Occasional catch-ups with close friends
❌ Things that don’t give me joy in life
Sleep deprivation
Lack of exercise and movement
Keto snacks
Not reading books
It’s not much but it’s a start.
Comments
@practicingdev 6 weeks is a good review cadence. Nice! Cool that you used “bright spots” - a term I’m familiar with too!
@jasonleow
That term was one I first saw in Switch, which is a fantastic book. Maybe you saw it there too?
It’s funny because it seems kinda obvious to me now that a good way to make big improvements is to search for what’s working and try to scale that, rather than just trying to remove all the problems. But when I first read that nearly a decade ago, it was a world-breaking concept for me!
@practicingdev oh yeah I read that book! Yes highly likely.
Yeah in the social impact sector that I’m also in, they call it asset/strengths-based development. Yeah it’s crazy how we’re so wired to remove the bad when it feels so much better by focusing on our strengths.
Hey, love that you tried this out as well!
I may try reviewing my own once every 6 weeks or so to see where I am at with things, whether I am getting closer or farther away from the bright spots in my life.