You spend all this time, effort, and energy thinking about and planning the big banner wins. Things like getting fully booked, your wedding day, or hitting the million-dollar mark in business because that’s when you’ll be happy…right?
Turns out science - and what I’ve seen behind-the-scenes after thousands and thousands of coaching calls and have experienced myself after celebrating bringing in a million in revenue from a 1:1 coaching model - says this is true and also not so true.
Unfortunately, many people are disappointed when they “get there” only to find it’s not raining unicorns, there isn’t a parade, and things are pretty much the same as they were the day before.
In fact, it can be a real mindf*ck for many business owners when that record-breaking income month or sold out launch doesn’t bring the long-lasting happiness they expected.
That doesn’t mean big goals and wins aren’t worth pursuing and can’t bring you joy - that’s the pendulum swinging the other way and how we get into telling stories that sound like “I don’t care about making money”.
But, it does mean we have a backward relationship and understanding of what actually makes us happy and how to go about creating that along with the big wins.
So, what DOES make the difference in how joyful business and life are for you?
Back in my college days, I was paid to do research on happiness for an author. For real, that was my side gig while I studied psychology in school.
The general thinking pouring countless hours into the happiness research said we tend to *think* those “big banner” events in our lives are going to bring us happiness. But, it turned out, the research showed over and over again that they actually don't bring nearly as much of a spike in joy as we expect.
It’s your experience in the day-to-day, the smaller, everyday moments, the process of getting ‘there’ that’s a bigger contributor to your overall happiness quotient.
Meaning, in the long run, how you feel, what you do, and what you make of the day-to-day are what matters most - savoring that cup of coffee in the morning, the connection you have with your partner, kids, or your client, enjoying running your business and the more “boring” daily aspects that entails like putting out marketing, planning with your team, following up with a potential client, or the feeling of satisfaction after finishing a challenge or creating a piece of content you’re really proud of.
I’m always talking about how small is big, and how it’s finding a way to enjoy the process of running and treating your business like a business that’s the difference maker, and this concept is exactly that.
When you focus on finding the joy in the repetitive, daily actions in your business and allow yourself to celebrate those smaller wins and milestones, you stretch your happiness quotient and give yourself a greater capacity for joy.
That’s what can lead to more sustainable happiness that stretches far longer than the short-lived peak of a ‘big’ win…meaning, instead of waiting until you have your first $100k launch to celebrate and feel good, this allows you to enjoy every step along the way and to build momentum and joy as you go - which, also makes it that much more likely you’ll like what you’re doing enough whatever the results to stick with your strategy until you reach that $100k launch milestone to celebrate in the first place.
This is a beautiful reminder and evidence that it’s as much, if not more, about finding a way to embrace AND enjoy the journey as it is about the destination.
Finding a way to like and celebrate those mundane, daily moments IS a part of the strategy for increasing your happiness quotient AND your success and income quotient.
Look, I know there’s a part of you that wants to eyeroll this and is thinking, “Yeah, yeah, I hear you, AND I still want those $10k, $20k, or $50k+ months. I know I’ll be plenty happy then and won’t complain.”
I hear you, and I’ll offer again this isn’t meant to be either or. Either celebrate and have the small wins and success or the big wins and success.
This is about both enjoying the path and knowing the sooner you can find your happiness and joy in the process, the smaller, everyday wins, the journey to that next big income win, the faster you’ll actually get “there” and enjoy it when you do.
Because how you create it is usually how you experience and sustain it.
You’ll be one of the people who finds happiness “there” in your big banner wins instead of sobbing hysterically because you expected it to be different. Not because your pop moment or $100k launch is what creates happiness but because you found it along the way, you became it along the way, and embracing and enjoying the process is what created your success.
So, as you start to reflect on 2022 and look forward to bringing in the new year and setting your 2023 goals and intentions, I’d invite you to keep this in mind and think about prioritizing your process and joy goals on equal footing with adding another 6 or 7 figures.
Because when you can embody that there isn’t better than here, it’s just a different place on your journey…when you’re not running to escape the present…when you’re not pedestalling your business goals…when you can make everything in the here and now so good, right, and delicious, you set yourself up for that increased happiness quotient and your inevitable results, which get to be the icing on the cake.
And, I don’t know about you, but I find there’s only so much satisfaction in icing on its own, and I’m here for the whole damn cake with that icing on top!
Now I’d love to know what and how you’re celebrating as we close out 2022! Hit ‘reply’ and let me know what “big” or “small” win you’re most celebrating and how you’re celebrating!
Wishing you a FUN and peaceful close to the year and all of the wishes for a healthy, prosperous, and joyful new year!
Wishing you your version of success!
P.S. Know 2023 is your time to blow up your business and bank account and bring in your first or next 6-figures?
Ready to invest in personalized, 1:1 support that knows how to help you find your process to get seen, bring in clients, and sell out your programs and enjoy running your business like a business so you can be ready to welcome in and integrate the next-level wins like your own record-breaking income months?
Book a free coaching consultation here to talk about how I can help you with the clarity, mindset, strategy (messaging, marketing, sales, leadership), and action that goes into making six, multi-six, and seven figures.
