Make room for joy.

It is easy to fill a day with what needs to get done and leave no room for what gives you energy. When that happens for long enough, even a good life can begin to feel like a list of obligations.

One idea I shared on Culture Vulture came from Dr. Greg Nielsen: make a joy list. Write down the activities, people, and places that help you feel more like yourself. It might be golf, a walk, time with friends, reading, exercise, or creating something. There is no right answer and no need to make the list impressive. Its job is to remind you what matters to you.

Then look at your actual week. Where could one of those things fit? Maybe it is a short walk before work or a conversation you have been meaning to make time for. If writing energizes you, perhaps there is a way to use it in your work as well as in your personal life.

The point is not to add another item to a crowded schedule. It is to pay attention to where your energy goes and make a deliberate choice about where you want more of it. Small moments of joy deserve a place in an ordinary day.

Today’s MOJO: Put one thing from your joy list on the calendar.