Joy, Work and Life: Don’t Miss Out

Joy, work and life – What are you missing? What are your goals? What are your priorities? Will you wake up one day and realize that something you thought would always be there is gone, and you can never go back and retrieve it?

We each have money and time to use and invest. How do you use and invest your money? How do you use and invest your time? And are you investing in your goals and priorities?

Joy, Work and Life: Stop and Think.

• Have you ever taken time to focus and reflect? Right now, for you, are joy, work and life in balance? What are your short and long term goals? Do you know? Have you ever thought about them? Do your goals lead to joy? Some goals take a significant investment of time, money and commitment; others are quickly addressed. Do you know what you want, now and for tomorrow? Are you investing your time and other resources wisely?
• Do you truly appreciate today, or are you on a treadmill with blinders, perpetually charging toward a distant tomorrow? Guess what? Tomorrow never comes. Life is a balancing act: none of us are promised the future, much less tomorrow. Slow down, stop, and reflect. Plan and work for the future, but also appreciate everything you have right now. Take nothing for granted; it won’t be there forever.
• How are you spending time? Time is a limited commodity; rich or poor, we each are given the same 24 hours in a day. Are you spending time on things that matter? Some things in life never recur. You miss enough ballet recitals or soccer games, and suddenly there are no more to be had. Kids don’t stay small forever, and some opportunities never recur.
• What is your work life like? Are you engaged, energized, and eager to jump into each new work day? Do you have at least a few periods of genuine laughter during the week? Do your co-workers all have their oars in the water, and are you all pretty much paddling in the same direction? Not every day will necessarily be sunshine and rainbows; some will be thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis. Yet overall, are your eight, ten, twelve or more hours at work an upper or a perpetual downer?
• What brings you joy? And why? Are you investing in joy? How can you infuse joy into other aspects of your life? How can you take a few more moments each day to refresh and recharge? Do you already have joyful moments in your life, but are too preoccupied, stressed or rushed to recognize and appreciate them? Be daring; have fun!

Plan for the future and embrace the present. Every day occurs only once. Treasure the good times, and put the tough times behind. Keep joy, work and life, and the balance between them, in focus, and create and enjoy the life you envision.