This is the finale episode of the Joy First Audit series: where we've been exploring the 6 categories of the Joy First audit, and today we're onto Category 6: Purpose. Meaning, growth, impact, & legacy.

The thread that holds everything else together.

In this episode I share my own pattern of "what now, what next" moments (which, as it turns out, have arrived almost like clockwork every four years) and explore why these moments aren't a sign you've lost your way. They're often a sign you've outgrown the version of yourself that built the thing you've already built.

In this episode:

• Why the "what now" moment is almost always an important milestone
• The Harvard Study finding that proves the power of purpose for living long, healthy life
• What dog ownership and ikigai have in common (and what it tells us about how even the small stuff counts)
• Why most entrepreneurs start with fear-fuelled drive and eventually have to reckon with something else entirely
• The pain or pleasure question that unlocks more Whyfinding® sessions than any other

Whether you scored 15/15 or felt every question land in a tender place, this episode is an invitation to start noticing what you're already chasing when it comes to being in service, and finding meaning in your life, business and storytelling.

Get access to the audit on our substack: https://substack.com/@joyfirstworld

Unlock the full AI-guided version with a paid subscription.

Learn more about Whyfinding® sessions: https://go.joyfirstworld.com/branding

Access the Whyfinding® co-pilot with Citrus: https://go.joyfirstworld.com/citrus

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The colours on your walls, the quality of your light, whether your bedroom feels like a sanctuary or a storage unit, these things are doing something to you, all the time. This episode, we're exploring Category 5 of the Joy First Audit: Environment.

I scored reasonably high on this one (as I guess you'd probably expect) but then.... we found a leak in our downstairs closet, so all the floors have come up, and we've been living with industrial-sized dehumidifiers and fans running at full volume for weeks. We've just been told they will have to remain another two weeks. Once again, perfect timing to be having this conversation.

In this episode, I'm exploring what happens to your sense of self when your environment is in chaos, some quick fixes to create more of the feelings you want in your spaces, and why 'aesthetic' isn't just superficial.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The five environmental factors that most consistently affect mood and nervous system regulation (according to research)

• Why the colour of your walls, your light quality, and even the clutter level in your space matter more than we give them credit for

• The 'What should I pick' dilemma, and the one question to answer first to get what you want in the spaces you get to choose

• What the Joy First Audit's 'Environment' category is really asking, and how to use your score as a starting point for adding more joy to your spaces

TAKE THE AUDIT

Take the full Joy First Audit on Substack: https://joyfirstworld.substack.com/p/the-joy-first-audit

EXPLORE MORE:

Take the Colour Personality Quiz: https://go.jnicholesmith.com/quiz

Learn about Colour Joy (free when you become a founding member on Substack): https://joyfirstworld.substack.com/p/getting-started-with-colour-joy-1

CTA

If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who you know will love it too 🧡 This is how together, we'll spark the #joyfirstrevolution

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I'm recording this episode from my bed, at 6:30pm, surrounded by laundry, with a partially sedated dog, and with maybe 15 minutes before my kids come home. I cannot think of a more perfect setting for a conversation about joy.

Because joy usually isn't the Instagram version. Sometimes it's survival. Sometimes it's taking 20 minutes out to nip to the garden centre to get covered in manure to make a place for happy plants before the dentist appointment and the school run, and attempting to figure out dinner for everyone in a kitchen with no floors and industrial fans and dehumidifiers making you mysteriously nauseous.

Sometimes it's putting the kids' clothes away with love and intention, instead of racing through it.

This is the Joy category of the Joy First Audit: welcome to the real face of joy in the messy middle.

• The four versions of joy (and why most of us only count one of them)
• What the big battleground that feels really present this week
• My score: what it means and what it doesn't
• Why the gap between "laughter and play" joy and "survival" joy matters
• Some BIG BIG news I've been dying to share with you: a milestone that feels very connected to everything this season has been about

Take the Joy First Audit: https://joyfirstworld.substack.com/p/the-joy-first-audit

The 'Joy Codes' episode: https://joyfirstworld.com/blogs/joy-first-podcast/finding-your-joy-codes

Find us on Substack: joyfirstworld.substack.com https://substack.com/@joyfirstworld

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoyFirstWorld/videos

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.