Effortless Thursdays #20: Three moments of joy
E20: A reminder. A client. A community.
My heart has been full this week for many reasons. ❤️
But three moments stand out. Three moments of joy.
Joy, of course, is a key component of health.
So what better way to help your Thursday feel healthful and effortless than by sharing them with you.?
Over to you!
Next time you have a big decision to make, or you're stuck at a crossroads lacking inspiration, what could happen if you ask yourself:
“What would bring joy?”
I. A reminder
In my last newsletter, I shared my nervousness about refocusing my newsletter on something that I had been swerving away from: health.
Health has been such a foundation for my success - helping me achieve things, and show up in the world, in a way that really feels effortless. Health unlocks success.
I asked you for your feedback about pivoting back to my true North, and I had some wonderful responses.
- reminded me that my writing highlights the dis-ease we can experience without health.
- shared his four words for his daily focus: healthy, happy, wise, wealthy (in that order).
- reminded me about my True North, and her newsletter sign-off "Stay Healthy. From there else becomes possible"
- shared how "health is a crucial component of success as a leader and in business", and we realise how important it is when we see it failing in those that we love
- reflected on how health is deeply embedded as a value because it influences every decision she makes, from what she eats, to where she lives and who her partner is
- is healthiest when he's taking risks to engage in what's important
- is inspired by my writing, whatever that may be about, and Mak from shared his own pivot with his newsletter that has made him happier with its content.
I'm grateful 🙏🏻 to each one of you for your thoughtful reflections, and for taking the time to share them.
It was
who really made me stop in my tracks:“I hope you write about whatever brings you joy!”
What a wonderful reminder of how important it is to do things that bring us joy!
II. A client
I've been coaching one of my clients for just over two years.
He's a successful entrepreneur and has built his business step by step through a steadfast focus on planning and anticipating what could go wrong.
He also happens to live with a number of chronic diseases, and he's in pain.
When I first started coaching him, we were talking about joy. I asked:
"Where does joy show up in your life?"
It was a difficult question. He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if there was any joy and, if there was, where he could find it.
Fast forward to this week and one of our regular coaching sessions. He was receiving multiple offers to sell his business. He had anxiety about making the best decision for himself and his family.
Were the numbers going to value his business adequately?
How much time would he really free up by selling?
As we talked about what it was could be a helpful decision filter - what he needed most - one of the three things he identified was joy.
Over time, this client had rediscovered where joy had been lurking.
It wasn't to be found in big, grand gestures, but in the smallest moments: supporting his charities, engaging with the people in his community, and spending time on vacation with his family.
It was always there, but was hidden out of sight under the cover of putting clients first.
III. A community
This week, I finished the Effortless Leadership programme that I've been running for the past 12 weeks. It was a pilot programme full of willing pioneers determined to understand, and experience, Effortless Leadership.
I couldn’t have done that without the indefatigable support of
and her excellent Build Scalable Courses course, and some of her community's members: , and .It won't surprise you that one of the three pillars of Effortless Leadership is "Reclaiming the joy for what you do"
We can reach a point in our careers, and - frankly - our lives, where the mundanity and routine can make us feel like we're coasting.
We wake up in the morning wanting to press the snooze button rather than jumping into the shower eager to meet with our colleagues and start the day.
One of the participants unlocked her courage to change (another of the three pillars of Effortless Leadership) and secured a promotion:
"I honestly believe I can attribute [my promotion] to the self-reflection on my leadership style and who I am through this programme"
The joy on her face in applying for a role, that she wouldn't otherwise have had the courage to apply for, was priceless.
That’s it for this week!
As always, I appreciate your feedback on Effortless Thursdays.
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To your health and success!
Loved this for so many reason! One, seeing so many familiar names sharing their messages warmed my heart. I also think sometimes messages are meant to come back to us! I definitely needed the reminder today to remember to lean into the things that bring me joy. I’m so happy those words found you when you needed them too ❤️ The story about your clients really hit home.
Also, did you take the photo of the longhorn cow? That photo, along with the others in this issue are magnificent!
Another great edition, Eric. We should all be as wise as Michelle. "Do what makes you happy" interestingly is also what makes you healthy.