Take a Weekend to Find Your Joy Again

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? Or woke up without an alarm and let the day unfold without a plan? If your answer starts with “I think it was…” then it’s time to rediscover that beautiful, rare species called fun.

We get so tangled in lists, deadlines, and notifications that “fun” starts to sound like an optional extra—something we’ll get to when everything else is done. But here’s the truth: fun isn’t frivolous. It’s fuel.

A weekend of joy and play is not wasted time—it’s the reset your soul has been waiting for.

Step One: Ditch the Guilt

If you’ve ever felt guilty for taking time off, congratulations—you’re human. We’ve been taught that rest is laziness and play is indulgence. But nature disagrees. Even the Earth takes seasons off! Trees don’t feel bad for losing their leaves; they know renewal takes stillness.

So this weekend, when that little voice whispers, “You should be productive,” answer back, “I am—just in a different way.”

Step Two: Make Room for Spontaneity

You don’t have to plan your fun like a corporate retreat. Let it happen. Wander into that quirky antique store you’ve always driven past. Take your coffee outside and watch the world go by. Dance in your kitchen to your favorite old song. (Yes, the one you haven’t played since high school. Bonus points if you still remember the moves.)

Let yourself be surprised by joy. It’s been trying to find you.

Step Three: Find the Magic in Small Things

Joy doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it hums quietly in the background. It’s the smell of pancakes on a slow Sunday morning. It’s the sound of laughter echoing through the house. It’s the way the light hits your window at 5 p.m., reminding you that beauty doesn’t demand attention—it just exists.

You don’t need a tropical vacation or a fancy dinner reservation to feel alive. You just need to notice what’s already around you.

Step Four: Invite Wonder Back

Remember when clouds looked like dragons and every sidewalk crack was a secret world? That curiosity is still in you—it’s just been buried under grocery lists and phone alerts.

Spend a few hours this weekend looking at life with childlike awe. Visit a park. Watch the stars. Let a museum or a trail or even a thrift store remind you that the world is still a fascinating, funny, unpredictable place.

A Tiny Poem for Your Weekend

“Reclaiming Saturday”

by Julie’s Journal

Slow down, my friend—

the world won’t spin away.

Let sunlight be your schedule,

and laughter lead the way.

The chores will wait,

the phone can sleep,

there’s joy to find

that doesn’t keep.

So step outside,

forget the race,

and let your weekend

find your face.

Take a deep breath. You’ve earned a little unstructured happiness.

Go—find your fun.

Julie Bolejack, MBA