Joy Stacking to Maximize Time Yield
By Tana M. Mann Easton, Lead Efficiency Engineer
In my own life, I understand that one of my most precious and finite resources is time. One of my daily habits is to pay special attention to things that bring me joy. My joys range from the grand (walking around and exploring new countries/places) to the small (Woodwick candles with fruity fragrances). And throughout each day, I try to stack those joys in order to maximize the yield on my time.
For example, when I am working at home, I have a number of different joys that I like to play with to maximize the yield out of my work time. I am always wearing clothes that are comfortable. Whether I’m dressed up or casual, I don’t want to notice my clothes on my body, so they have to fit me comfortably (one joy). As I said above, I enjoy the sound and smell of fruity Woodwick candles, so I’ll often have one of those burning while I work (two joys). If it’s a sunny day, I like to move my laptop to an area of our house that has a lot of windows and lets in a lot of light. If it’s a cloudy day, I like to move my laptop to my desk area in my bedroom that is more cozy (three joys). If it’s a hot day, I like to have cold water on my desk. If it’s a cold day, I like to have hot tea on my desk (four joys). I also have a work blanket that I drape over my lap while I work because it makes me feel comfortable and cozy (five joys).
Joy stacking can turn a task that I don’t want to do into a cherished routine. For example, I used to think that exercise had to be hard and awful in order to be effective. But last year, at the start of the pandemic, I decided that my exercise for the day would be long walks, since walking is a joyful way that I move my body. I then decided that those walks would be outside throughout my neighborhood, since being outside is another joy of mine. I added educational and inspirational podcasts as the soundtrack to my walks (a third rock in my joy stacking). I kept my eyes open for beauty around my neighborhood and started taking pictures of those beautiful objects: flowers, sunrises, trees, etc. (a fourth rock in my joy stacking). I made a rule for myself that if I walk by anyone I would smile and say hi (a fifth rock in my joy stacking). Because of all of the joys that I baked into moving my body, exercise became and remains a joy.
Cleaning my house is also not a particularly joyful time for most people, but playing music and having cold water waiting for me in the refrigerator are some of the ways that I stack my joys in order to make cleaning time something to look forward to.
What are the dreaded tasks in your day? Are there joys that you can stack on top of that task to make it something that you might look forward to? Start making a list of all of the things that bring you genuine joy, small to large. Then look at that list and see if there are things that you can stack together to get more yield out of your time each day, and especially to make dreaded experiences more pleasant. I can pretty much always find combinations of favorite things that heighten each part of my days, and I encourage everyone to find the little ways to stack their joys in order to make the most out of their time.
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Joyfully Yours,
Focus to Evolve Team