Do you go through phases in your life where you’re so focused on something, such as your career or going back to school, that it’s taken over all your free time and you suddenly realize you’ve stopped having fun?
That’s where I was recently.
Every night before bed I open my Joy Journal and write down 3 moments of the day that brought me joy.
But I started to notice a trend. I was struggling just to name three things! This was a sign that life had become too serious!!
I’d been suffering from a fun deficiency.
I’d become a bored dog with nothing to do and no one to play with. 😞
When I look back, I can see how this coincided with other areas of my life becoming less fulfilling. I wasn’t as social, wasn’t laughing as much, my energy dropped, tension in my relationship grew, and business slowed down.
Just by not having enough fun.
Can you recall a time you felt like this too? Like everything’s falling out of alignment?
Around this time someone suggested I write a list of at least 20 activities that bring me joy.
I wrote down things like relaxing by a body of water, riding my bike, working out, getting a massage, and reading a good book. I started to do some of these things more, but wasn’t getting the return I anticipated.
I upgraded from bored dog to slightly less bored dog with a somewhat interesting party hat to distract me.
These activities are peaceful, but they don’t make me laugh.
What I really needed was PLAY.
So I added to my list: game nights with friends, badminton, dancing, live music!
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve done most of these things multiple times, and I can feel myself growing more fulfilled.
I’m laughing again, I’m more energized, my relationship is stronger, and I’ve had the best month in my business to date.
I’ve also had a much easier time writing down joyful moments in my journal and filling up the page.
The most special outcome of all though was celebrating my birthday.
What I’ve really wanted for a long time is more romance in my relationship, but my boyfriend isn’t a natural born romantic.
Since I believe in leading by example, I knew I’d have to love myself enough to give ME more attention and romance first, and invest in my own happiness by finding ways to have more fun.
I bought myself flowers, got a hair cut, dropped everything I was doing to get a puzzle (I had a strong craving for one), and booked a massage. I treated myself with worthiness.
On my birthday weekend, I received more love and affection than ever, which is exactly what I wanted. My boyfriend cooked me a yummy breakfast. He wrote me the sweetest card ever, expressing how much he appreciates me and is inspired by me. He was happy to dance and play badminton with me. We laughed a ton and it was a beautiful day.
I’ve transformed into HAPPY DOG, galloping through the marsh, wet tongue flapping about, filled with so much love and joy and happiness and wagging my tail at everyone!
Business this month has been awesome too, thanks to my happy dog vibes opening many doors for me, and reopening others that seemed closed. Some really awesome new clients have come my way who’re so eager to create their own transformation. It’s such a joy working with motivated people.
Everything feels ALIGNED and EASY.
All because I created more fun for me.
Just by prioritizing fun, YOU too can attract more of what you want.
It couldn’t be any easier.
After all, you can’t resist petting a cute happy dog, right?
So here’s a challenge for you.
Brainstorm: Over the past couple of months, which activities have made you laugh the most? What felt the most playful and FUN and satisfying to your soul, where you felt like a dog leaping through a field with your tongue hanging out?
Where can you schedule more of these into your week?
Drop a comment below and share your top playful activities with us! We’re compiling a list to inspire others who feel stuck so they too can get their tails wagging again 🙂
Jessica Juliano: Self-Worth Advocate + Author 