Mindset Shift: Joy as a Success Strategy

How I built joy into my busy schedule to stay inspired, energized, and in flow.

If someone had asked me three years ago how I approached success, I’ll tell you right now what my answer would NOT have been:

“My approach to success is joy.”

And to be honest… if someone had said that to me, I probably would have laughed and thought they were full of it. I probably would have also been a little envious. Because for me three years ago, success wasn’t about joy—not even close. It was about effort, grinding, and proving myself.

But I’ve learned a lot in the past three years. And that learning? It was the silver lining of an intense, sometimes brutal, growth journey.

I’m sure many of you can relate. Oh, the joys of going through it. 🙃

The Truth: You Don’t Have to Earn Joy—You Build It In To Your Schedule

One of the biggest shifts I made in my life was realizing that joy isn’t just something you “get” once you’ve worked hard enough—it’s something you prioritize along the way.

Because here’s the truth I came to find (the hard way): If you don’t structure in moments of joy, your days will naturally default to tasks, to-dos, and obligations. Another day will have gone by where you were “productive” but felt completely drained and disconnected from your Self. (Capital S Self, like Louise Hay says).

We’ve been conditioned to believe that success requires a masculine, linear approach—work first, rest later. And while taking action is essential, so is being present in your life.

One major key in doing this is balancing masculine structure with feminine flow.

Masculine energy = structure, action, achievement. DOING.

Feminine energy = presence, intuition, creativity. BEING.

This has nothing to do with gender - we all need to tap into both energies to fully thrive as the fullest, most aligned version of ourselves. So instead of asking, “How can I get everything done and then find time for joy?”, ask:

How can I build joy into my day so that I feel fueled, inspired, and energized while I take action?

Success Feels Better When It’s Sustainable

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts last week when I learned something interesting - that elite athletes understand something that most people don’t:

The best performers aren’t just the most disciplined—they’re the ones who prioritize recovery.

Their training schedules actually include rest and joy—because those things fuel high performance.

I believe our days should be structured the same way. And that way looks different for each of us, based on what fuels us and what drains us. You just have to unlock your unique rhythm - and once you do - it truly feels like coming home to your Self. Mastering that, and experiencing a profoundly positive shift in my own life, is what led me to coaching other women on their path to this place of flow. I feel it’s my purpose to spread this knowledge.

How I Infuse Joy Into My Daily Schedule

If you’ve been feeling like you’re just grinding through your days (I am very familiar with that feeling), I want to share the method I use to start balancing the doing and being and avoid burnout:

Creating and prioritizing micro-moments of joy throughout my day.

This doesn’t mean blowing up my schedule—it means adding in small rituals that bring me energy. Here are a few examples of what I prioritize in order to feel connected and in flow even on the most busy days:

💫 Movement throughout the day: A morning workout to start the day feeling good and an afternoon walk to reset and revive

💫 A cup of tea outside between afternoon meetings, no screens (feels luxurious)

💫 A 2-5 minute breathwork session or meditation between meetings

Think of what your micro-moments would look like. Whatever makes you feel good and brings you back to Self. This will allow you to move through your day feeling energized and embodied.

Strategically structure your day in a way that feels good.

Instead of packing your schedule back-to-back, build in space to breathe. Ask yourself:

✨ When do I feel the most creative and energized? (Prioritize deep work then.)

✨ When do I feel drained? (Schedule a break or a light task in that spot.)

✨ What makes me feel the most energized? (Always rioritize those tasks/activities, consider them non-negotiables.)

✨ What makes me feel drained? (Schedule those thoughtfully - like sandwiching them between energy givers - and try to outsource or minimize them where possible.)

✨ Where can I add intentional joy breaks to reset my energy?

Let yourself pivot when something isn’t working.

Some days, the plan just isn’t flowing—and that’s okay. Alas, we are humans. Instead of forcing your way through, lean into the flow - tune into what your energy needs and adjust accordingly. My mindset here is: flow over force. High performers know when to push and when to pause. The more you practice this, the easier and more natural it becomes. Promise!

A Quick Joy Check-In For You

Before I dive into my day, I take a moment to reflect:

✨Is there room in my schedule to remove some of my energy drainers and add more of my energy givers?

✨What are 3 mico-moments of joy I can build in today?

✨How can I balance action with ease so I feel aligned and accomplished?

Success isn’t just about getting things done—it’s about feeling energized, inspired, and connected to your Self while doing them. When you learn this new way of approaching success, it’s almost like… YEAH, DUH. But the truth is, most of us simply are not taught this system, and instead are conditioned to believe we have to grind, our way forward, push through at all costs and earn or deserve joy, rest, pleasure and play. Well, it’s my very strong belief that this outdated system has reached it’s expiration date, and it’s time for a major paradigm shift.

When joy is built into your days, success stops feeling like a grind and starts feeling like aligned momentum.

I’d love to hear from you - what’s one small joy ritual you will add to your day this week?

Sending love x,

Allie

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Allie is a Certified Holistic Wellness & Mindset Coach dedicated to helping high-achieving women break free from burnout and create success with balance, energy, and ease. Through her coaching, courses, and content, she guides women in harmonizing their feminine and masculine energy to align with their natural rhythm, redefining success on their terms, and achieving more by doing less. Her work is rooted in a deep knowing that you don’t have to sacrifice your well-being in order to be successful.

Explore her work here.