Memorial Day weekend hosts one of my favorite events, the Decatur Arts Festival. I enjoy this festival for a variety of reasons – it is less than one mile from my house, and it brings together top artists, musicians, storytellers and delicious food and drink in one place. I am not an artist, but am a creative being and I wanted to participate; thus the idea for The Joy Tree was born.
I set up my chairs at a gorgeous dogwood tree right outside the old courthouse. I had hundreds of different colored tags for people to hang on the tree with their expression of what brings them joy, or what makes them happy. With markers galore and Bites of Joy (ideas on how to spread joy) to share with each person that came to the tree, I was ready to go. I witnessed so many people tickled with the notion that they could share what made them happy with the world, as well as read what others wrote.
There were the expected responses; family, friends, travel and the not so typical-order, chicken and a few descriptions in languages I could not read. What surprised me most was when my friends and colleagues visited the tree, they were delighted with the concept, but many admitted that were really not sure what the Joy Tree was.
Here is what I learned from this amazing experience:
1. A clear vision for a project, without a plan, is not easily executed.
2. To have extraordinary results, clear communication of the vision to others is of utmost importance.
3. Embracing ultimate flexibility allows space for the most enjoyment of the project.
In a perfect world, we could create what we want from the vision in our mind; just see the picture and go. In a realistic world, it’s best to have a plan. That point is confirmed by my last poll on Linked In. 27% of people responded that what hinders their joyful success is a lack of plan. If you are in that group of people and are craving better results, than why not create a plan to focus your attention and energy on?
Whether you are embarking on a creative project, launching a new venture to your clients or assigning a new task to your team, take the time to plan your work, and then of course, work your plan to achieve the results that you desire. Once you accomplish that, then next year you can share your joyful success at The Joy Tree.
FEATURED ON
