Joy First®

The Unglamorous Truth About Joy

WHAT IF THE MOST ORDINARY MOMENT IN YOUR WEEK TURNED OUT TO BE A JOY RITUAL IN DISGUISE? In this episode, I'm sharing what I've been learning as I move deeper into my own 'Joy First experiments', and why the most surprising discoveries have had almost nothing to do with that big 'jump up and down' version of joy. Today we're talking about the science behind visual progress loops and how your mundane chores can genuinely light up your brain. We revisit the 10 Joy Codes and look at how a single ordinary activity can stack multiple codes at once. And I want to challenge the version of joy that most of us have been sold: the everything-is-amazing version that, if we're honest, isn't most of life. Sometimes joy is just medicine. Sometimes it's the thing that keeps you going, not the thing that goes in your feed. Key moments: • The neuroscience of why my most hated chore has become a major joy ritual for me because it feels so good • Why I started doubling down on when anxiety was at its peak • How the Joy Codes show up inside the smallest, most mundane activities • Why this season of the podcast is shifting toward real-time joy experiments, in the messy middle, with all the imperfections intact The Joy Codes Episode: https://joyfirstworld.com/blogs/joy-first-podcast/finding-your-joy-codes Take the Joy First Audit: https://joyfirstworld.substack.com/t/joy-first-audit Discover your Colour type: https://go.jnicholesmith.com/quiz The best glitter pens: https://calmoverchaos.co.uk/products/constellation-glitter-pens Arm Knitting in Lancashire: https://chunkyarmknit.com/ Painting Workshops UK: https://www.brushandtipple.co.uk/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Purpose Audit

HAVE YOU EVER HIT A MILESTONE YOU'D BEEN WORKING TOWARDS FOR YEARS, ONLY TO SIT IN THE SILENCE AFTERWARDS AND THINK, IS THIS IT? 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 ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Environment Audit

NO MATTER WHAT COLOURS YOU CHOOSE, YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS NOT NEUTRAL. 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 ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Joy Audit

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. KEY THINGS WE GET INTO: * 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 LINKS: 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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Connection Audit

Did you know the longest-running happiness study in history (Harvard) found that the number one predictor of a long, healthy, joyful life wasn't money or success, it was the quality of your relationships? So why does connection feel like the first thing we sacrifice when life gets full? In this episode of the Joy First Audit series, I'm sharing my score for Category 3: Connection... and even though I came in at 14/15, there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. We go into: • The difference between not being alone and actually feeling seen • What's happening in marriages and intimate relationships as we enter our forties (and why so many women are quietly renegotiating everything) • Real vs superficial friendships: and how I've been looking locally to find something that feels nourishing • The people-pleasing and guilt thread that runs through almost every connection question in the audit • Why self-connection is the bank account that funds all the rest This one gets honest about perimenopause, neurodivergence, the IDGAF era, and what it actually takes to feel genuinely connected when your nervous system is running on empty. If you want to take the Joy First Audit for yourself, you can find it on our Substack @joyfirstworld. Free members get the analog version. Paid members get access to a custom AI co-pilot that walks you through the audit and helps you take your next steps. Next week: The Joy Audit ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.