If you're like me, you need to see something on paper before you can really understand it. In my mission to plan for more joy in 2010, I decided to start with the basics. Maybe this is a little
too basic for you, but feel free to try it. (Especially if you have a pen with unique-colored ink you'd like to try out!)
I made a list of all the things that contributed joy to my life--the things I consider necessary for a meaningful existence. There were several surprising things about this exercise:
- The list was shorter than I expected--meaning it really doesn't take much to give me joy.
- The things that make me most joyful have to do with relationships rather than material things.
- The list didn't resemble my to-do list very closely.
The first point is a good thing to keep in mind on the days when I'm not feeling very content with circumstances. The second point made me realize that my first
priorities should be
people rather than
things. The third point caused me to stop and consider what my goals should be for the next year. If I spend my days doing meaningless things that bring me no joy, then I will get to the end of my life having lived a joyless existence. Not the epitaph I would choose!
What about you? Have you tried brainstorming about the important things in your life? What did you come up with?
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