Curate for Joy

When we got married, we started with how we wanted our wedding to feel. Intimate was the word we came up with. Everything we did revolved around creating that feeling. We only invited those people who were truly special to us, in a place that sparks joy for us. We “Marie Kondo’d” our wedding before we knew what it meant. And it was perfect.

More recently, I applied the Marie Kondo method to my home, and kept only things that spark joy. Now every morning when I choose what to wear, I see only things that I love. My home is decorated with things I love, my closet is filled with clothes I love. I am surrounded by the things that inspire and excite me.

 The other day a friend gave me a poem about the impact of the pandemic that still hangs over our lives. An aversion to going out, to commitments of time and place.  Outings seem heavier now. Except for the ones that spark joy. Those feel golden and precious.

Surround yourself with only the people, places, and things that spark joy. If joy is the bar, it becomes easy to see those people/places/things which fail to spark it for you.

It won’t all be that way, but what if the guiding principle for your life, the measuring stick, became that people, places, events, or things must do one of the following to be worthy of you:

Provide or enable enough white space

A job may not spark joy, but it may enable you to find enough space in the rest of your life to get the breathing room you need. Without space, creativity and inspiration have no room to show up.

Spark joy

Does this spark joy? If the answer is no, then no further thought or deliberation is required. Whether it’s a sweater in your closet, an industry event or a pizza party – if it doesn’t spark joy, it doesn’t pass the bar. Move on.

Here's a simplified 3-step process to help you curate your life for more joy:

Step 1: Discover What Makes You Happy

•       Reflect on what you really enjoy and make a list of those items, activities, places, and people.

Step 2: Assess and Declutter

•       Assess each item in your environment. If something, or someone, doesn’t make you happy or isn’t needed, let it go.

Step 3: Organize and Maintain

•       Arrange what’s left in a way in your environment that highlights what brings you the most joy. Keep this mindset for any new items or activities in the future.

This method not only simplifies your physical space but also clarifies your priorities. It’s possible to live this way, and it becomes an incredibly freeing and exciting way to live. “Shoulds” evaporate, because they have no place. Curate your life for joy, allow space only for those things that truly excite you, and see what happens next.

ps - I’m working with a former EVP of a Fortune 10 company right now to rewrite her resume, create her board bio, and refine her LinkedIn profile. If you are interested in doing the same, let’s talk.

When you’re ready:

1) I highly recommend the same 2-hour course ($150) I used to get started posting on LinkedIn (affiliate link): THE LINKEDIN OPERATING SYSTEM

2) Let’s chat about how I can help: GHEIM@GRAYSONHAYDEN.COM