Does Your Life Reflect What Brings You Happiness?
When I first took an inventory, the area that was most out of alignment was work. At the time, I was the sales manager for a high—tech communications company. Yes, there were parts of my job that brought me joy, but they were small parts. When I stacked up the parts of the job that brought me joy against the parts that didn't, I discovered I was spending less than 20 percent of my time doing things that brought me joy!

When any area of your life—and especially your work, since many working women spend most of their days at the office—is aligned with what you find satisfying, 80 percent of the activities involved should bring you joy. Eighty! Right now ask yourself, When I scan every area of my life, how much of what I do is a reflection of what brings me joy? Tell yourself the truth. Do the things you do bring you joy at least 80 percent of the time? Are there disparities between what you say brings you joy and what you actually do? Starting today, decide how you can change this.